


In Which Nico Is Blind And Still Gets Everything Done

by HK44



Series: Blind!Nico AU [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Blind AU, Blind Character, Fighting, Fluff, M/M, Original Female Character - Freeform, Universe Alteration, Unrequited Crush, basically a rewrite of the series from nico's perspective w/ him blind, idk how to tag, nico is blind
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-06
Updated: 2017-08-28
Packaged: 2018-07-12 13:33:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 90,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7107004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HK44/pseuds/HK44
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He always thought being blind meant being in darkness.</p><p>He didn’t realize that you could see the light and still see nothing at all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Battle of the Labyrinth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More blind!Nico stuff.  
> This one will basically be from Nico's perspective and how being blind changes a few things that occur in the books, starting with the Battle of Labyrinth as I headcanon that he went blind sometime after running away from Percy in the Titan's Curse.

“Dodge left,” Lorrie hisses somewhere ahead of him and he dodges to the left, smacking straight into a wall. “My left!”

Nico shakes his head, stumbles back and swings his sword to his right, her left, hitting something solid and slicing through it like butter. He sees a blur of green and yellow and brown in front of him, warped further by a haze of foggy blue. The blue shoots closer, yanking him to the side.

"I didn't say they were all gone!" she snaps, pushing him away from her. "Duck!"

He ducks and there's a whistling of air, something grasping right above his head. He shifts to the balls of his feet and rolls forward, stabbing straight ahead. Somewhere to his right, Lorrie is whistling heavily and he pulls back, a sickening squelch, while monster dust explodes over him. Her blue fog is unmarred by the yellow, wading right through it.

 Her fingers are cold and he still jumps as they press against his face, sidling to the side of his neck, her other hand on his wrist. His pulse is racing and he takes a few meditative breaths to ease himself. It's been six months and everything still aches. Part of him silently wishes he was still at camp. Maybe he wouldn't have gone blind and wouldn't need a ghost to yell directions at him and help him fight.

"I'm going now," she murmurs, the coolness of her finger evaporating. "Don't get into any trouble."

"I never do," he lies effortlessly and she chuckles, the sound soft and fading.

If you asked him to note the day his vision started going, he'd roll his eyes and tell you point blank he didn't remember. He would be able to tell you that everything started going blurry right after he met that stupid Percy Jackson though, the same Percy Jackson who killed his sister. Clearly he was a curse and Nico was glad to be rid of him, even if he was stuck tap-tap-tapping his way down blurry streets with pickpockets scurrying to take advantage of the blind child without a guide.

Lorrie used to guide him for a while, back when he was still adjusting to his loss of sight and working poorly on cane travel, Minos standing off to the side, an air of sulk surrounding him, while she chided Nico on his poor technique and hyperfocus on the pointless things like raising the dead. She was an attendant for his father, she explained as she taught him about negative space, at his step-mother's behest. She was mortal and she'd died young, only 16, protecting one of Persephone's children. Like Nico, she was older than she looked but surprisingly still younger than him.

Once he'd adjusted to using his cane and getting around by himself, she'd left, kissing his cheek softly and vanishing until a monster showed up three seconds later to which she yelled loudly and threw a brick at it. Evidently fighting monsters was hard to do on your own when you couldn't see the damn things.

In the back of his head Bianca's voice chastised him, a teasing, " _Language_ , Nico."

He shivered and stopped in front of a sweet-smelling cart, fingers reaching out and sliding over smooth petals. "Roses?"

The woman working the flower stand laughed. "No, no, dear. Tulips. The roses are over this way." She takes his hand, her fingers calloused and warm in his. There's a dusty smoothness he'd felt before, the earth caked into her palm. She rests his hand on the roses. "Right there."

She lets him fondle their petals, roll his fingers over their stems and doesn't say a word until he taps a few that felt the nicest. "These two. Please?"

There's a shifting, her colours rolling back and forth before she finally presses the wrapped flowers into his hand. His fingers curl around them tightly.

"For free, dear," she says swiftly, right before he can ask the price, and there's something fond in her voice. "I insist."

"Oh." He takes a step back, fiddling with the handle of his cane. "Um, thank you."

"You're very welcome," she says. "I'm sure she'll love them."

He smiles easily, the movement odd but pleasant on his face. He hasn't really smiled in a long time. "Thank you. Again."

He imagines she's smiling back at him as he bustles off. The feeling of death warps in and out of his steps, lingering buildings and alleyways but slowly grows stronger as he finds his way into the graveyard. He pauses at the gates for a moment, fiddling as though he's trying to remember something then steps his way in, moving down the way, the rocky touch of gravestones rolling over his fingers. Someone nearby gives a pitying whisper and he quickens his pace, turning into the lane and moving a few steps before loudly proclaiming, "Five!" and dropping to his knees.

He hopes the name is something that fits him and not Nakamura, like last time. He also hopes nobody decides to pop by and visit their grandmother or step-father like last time. Hard to lie his way out that when a) he didn't have any clue of the names in the general vicinity and b) he was, last he checked, very white.

He drops the roses in front of the grave and waits patiently for the sun to drop fully as people filter in and out around him. He tells vague and bland stories to the grave in front of him, mostly making things up from stories Bianca used to whisper to him at night. When the last bit of sunlight rolls from his skin, he stands and tap-taps his way to an empty spot of ground, hidden behind a towering tombstone and scuffs at the ground with his foot.

The dead rise quickly, ripping out of coffins and out of the earth like zombies from a horror movie he barely remembered, and they dig hurriedly, ripping at the already broken earth with desperate need.

"There are easier ways to get home," Lorrie says snidely.

Nico, to his credit, doesn't jump but he does let out a yell, throwing the balled up paper the roses came in at her.

"I don't have a home," he says plainly.

"To get to Hades, then," she corrects.

He pauses then stands as the dead stutter to a stop and work their way back into their cages.

"Show me," he says and she bops him on the nose. He frowns. He's much too old for nose bops.

"Oh stop frowning, grumpy pants," she soothes, taking his hand. "Anywho, _I'm_ here because your father would like you to stop ripping the dead out of the ground."

"If he'd just let me-"

"No," Lorrie says. She bops his nose again. "Shush."

They step into something cold and haunting, a ripple of air flushing over his skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake. She guides him down a set of stairs, voices crying out in his head.

He'd only been in the Underworld once before, sometime after he ran away and went blind, Minos's whispering voice urging him into something cold and ripping before he passed out on a cold and unfamiliar ground, the sound of clinking jewels rustling in his head. He'd left after his father refused to both let him see his sister and give her back, even with Nico's soul offered up like a slab of useless meat.

He'd been having a hard time finding his way back, shadowtravel apparently working mostly on your ability to visualize the place, he'd realize after waking up in an old lady's house in  _fucking_ China. And he couldn't even get back into the damn maze again, the only entrance he knew of within the camp walls.

"Language," Bianca's voice teases again and he shivers as Lorrie pulls to a stop.

"Here's good," she says. "There's the Styx in front of you. Don't go near it. You'll never get out." 

She kisses his cheek softly and darts off as he settles to the ground below him, a fire bursting into life ahead of him. The place, Hades, the Underworld, whatever, it brings back bad memories. Quietly he hopes Bianca will show up and whisper stories into his ear but she doesn't. The fire grows duller, the warmth sidling lower and lower and he tugs whatever he can from his jacket pocket. The smooth casing of the Mythomagic cards run under his fingers and he rips them out the box.

A useless game now.

He takes the one on top and puts it as close to his eyes as he possibly can as a ghost draws up, the feeling of death shrouding it as heavy as it does on Lorrie. It's a different death however, a familiar one and he leans back, chucking the card in the direction of the shifting blue heat.

"Minos?" he asks and the ghost whispers an affirmative back. He tugs his knees to his chest and tossed another card into the fire, hearing the crackling and burst of heat. "Useless," he mutters, fingering another card. "I can't believe I ever liked this stuff."

* * *

 

"Geryon, I won't wait forever," Nico snaps, walking out of the house. His fingers glide across the glass doors and his cane dips, hitting as he steps on to the porch. He pauses.

"Nico?"

 _Percy_.

Nico yanks his cane outwards, feeling it morph heavier into a sword, and holds it in the direction of the voice, searching for a giveaway of shapes to pinpoint which one Percy is.

"Put that away, Mr. di Angelo," Geryon snarls. "I ain't gonna have my guests killin' each other."

Lorrie hasn't rolled beside him and Minos isn't there either so he shifts, rolls his thumb over the hilt of his sword and lets it morph back into a cane. "Fine," he says bitterly. "If you come near me, Percy, I'll summon help." His eyes narrowed. "You don't want to meet my helpers, I promise."

Percy's voice is not the exact same tone it was before, still familar though but deeper and handsomer. "I believe you," he says and Nico's tempted to chuck his cane at him anyway.

Geryon pats his shoulder. "There, we've all made nice. Now come along, folks. I want to give you a tour of the ranch."

Nico keeps as far away from them as possible, crawling into the very back of the trolley. Eurytion crawls in after him. He smelled like sweat and blood, skin radiating heavy warmth. Ever since Nico stumbled in the night before, he'd taken to wearing a bright yellow jacket, something easy for Nico to identify him with, he explained as he wiped the lingering shadows and dirt from Nico's cane. Decent guy. Much nicer than  _Percy_.

He ignored most of the tour, frowning sourly. His frowning stopped pretty quickly as a putrid stench overtook him and he choked, gagging, quickly pressing a hand to his nose. "What  _is_ that?"

"My stables!" Geryon chirped and Nico  _had_ to wonder what kind of stables they were to smell so  _awful_. "Well, actually they belong to aegease, but we watch over them for a small monthly fee. Aren't they lovely?"

"I can't see," Nico hisses just as Annabeth says, "They're disgusting!" and some other guy he doesn't know says, "Lots of poop!"

There's an awkward silence following his little proclamation but Grover swoops in, crying, "How can you keep animals like that?" He sounds highly outraged and if Nico cared enough (or could see what was going on), he'd probably feel the same. Animal abuse is horrible.

Geryon huffs and the image of giant horses with razor sharp teeth forms in Nico's head. For some reason they're green with bright blue stripes. Each image grows more and more elaborate as he thinks. He wakes up from his little trip in his imagination as the trolley pulls to a stop, storming out the back car and whapping his way over to Geryon, following the clunk of his stupid boots.

"I came here for business, Geryon," he hisses. "And you haven't answered me."

"Mmm." The scratch of fabric sounded. "Yes, you'll get a deal, all right."

That wasn't helpful. "My ghost told me you could help. He cais you could guide us to the soul we need."

Somewhere behind him, Percy makes an offended noise and says, "Wait a second. I thought  _I_ was the soul you wanted."

Fury bristles in Nico and he whirled on Percy, knowing he was probably looking at Eurytion or Annabeth but not caring as he spat " _You?_ Why would I want  _you?_ Bianca's soul is worth a thousand of yours!" He visualizes Percy's face as hard as he can, picturing an affronted look on and tries his best not to smile at it as he turns back to Geryon. "Now can you help me, Geryon, or not?"

"Oh, I imagine I could," he says easily. "Your ghost friend, by the way, where is he?"

Unease settled on Nico's spine, making him go rigid. "He can't form in broad daylight. It's hard for him. Bust he's around somewhere."

A smile sat in Geryon's tone. "I'm sure. Minos likes to diapear when things get... difficult."

"Minos?" Percy says, sounding horrified and Nico wants to chuck something at him again. "You mean that evil king?" His footstep crunches the ground. the creak of the trolley, and instinctively Nico turns to the noise. " _That's_ the ghost who's been giving you advice?"

"It's none of your business, Percy!" He tightens his fists. "And what do you mean about things getting difficult?"

Geryon sighs. "Well you see, Nico- can I call you Nico?"

"No."

"You see, Nico, Luke Castellan is offering very good money for half-bloods. Especially powerful half-bloods." A chill rolls down Nico's spine. "And I'm  _sure_ when he learns your little secret, who you  _really_ are, he'll pay very, very well indeed."

Before he can get his sword out, Eurytion knocks his cane out of his hands and he's trapped, stuck. There's a snarl and loud thump, the dog, Orthus, growling deeply.

"I would stay in the car all of you," Geryon warns and Nico wants to run. "Or Orthus will tear Mr. Jackson's throat out. Now, Eurtyion, if you would be so kind, secure Nico."

This is it. He's going to die, he thinks blankly as Eurytion whines but heaves an arm around Nico's waist and tugs him into the air.

"Pick up the- the thing too," Geryon snaps. "I don't want anything hiding Stygian iron on my property." Air flusters around Nico's head, the ground brushing his feet, as Eurytion bends and grabs the cane. Geryon claps, cheerful now. "Now, we've had the tour. Let's go back to the lodge, have some lunch and send an Iris-message to our friends in the Tian army."

"You fiend!" Annabeth cries and Nico vaguely wonders what century she came from.  _No one_ calls people fiends any more.

"Don't worry, my dear. Once I've delivered Mr. di Angelo, you and your party can go. I don't interfere with quests. Besides I've been paid well to give you safe passage, which does not, I'm afraid, include Mr. di Angelo."

Of course it doesn't, Nico thinks bitterly as Annabeth says, "Paid by whom? What do you mean?"

"Never you mind, darlin'," Geryon chirps flippantly as his boots clunk back over to the trolley. "Let's be off shall we?"

"Wait!" Percy yells and Nico feels the intense urge to smack him as he spouted off some stupidity about cleaning the putrid stables.

"No!" Nico shouts, figdeting violently because so help him, he is gonna knock a fist into Percy's stupid pretty mouth. "Don't do me any favours, Percy. I don't want your help!"

Evidently Nico's words matter for naught because Geryon agrees and Percy leaves and Nico gets dumped into the backseat of the trolley, Eurytion's arms still tightly locked around him.

When they got back to the house, Nico gets tied up and dumped in a corner along with Annabeth, Grover and the other guy. The gag in his mouth doesn't make things any better. Very slowly, he begins cursing Percy Jackson, making each one as deliberate as the next, starting firstly with the twitching of the eye. Mostly because there is fly that keeps buzzing around his eyes and it is annoying.

Eventually Percy comes back, kills Geryon and makes everything worse.

In the morning, he blurts, "Nico, you could come with us" and this time Nico does hit him with his cane, making a deliberate shot to the legs. Bianca's words still echo in his ears and the overwhelming fact that she  _only_ came for  _him_ burns deep in his chest.

"I need time to think," he says, gazing down, unable and uncaring to keep the bitterness and anger out of his voice. Percy's breath hitches and he steps back once, feet scuffling against the ground.

"Nico," Annabeth tries. "Bianca just wants you to be okay."

Her hand touches his shoulder and he yanks away, stumbling back. He turns fully and tap-taps his way back to the house, finalizing each step with another curse on Percy Jackson.

* * *

 He only regrets some of the ruder curses as he fiddles violently with his shackles, the sound of the fight running overhead. Lorrie hisses at him to stay still and freeze as she works the chains off. 

"To me!" Minos yells somwhere to his left. "Spirits of the dead!"

The air hums and Nico jumps to his feet. "No!"

"You do not control me, young fool," Minos sneers as Lorrie keeps a steady grip on the back of Nico's shirt. "All this time I have been controlling you! A soul for a soul,  yes. But it is not your sister who will return from the dead. It is I, as soon as I slay the inventor."

Nico can feel the pull rolling off of Minos, hear the whispers and cries of the ghosts as they begin to form steadily around him. But Lorrie's hand his tight on him and she shows no signs of wavering. "I am the son of Hades!" Nico yells. "Be gone!"

Minos laughs, a barking cruel sound that curdles like sour milk. "You have no power over me. I am the lord of spirits! The ghost king!"

Lorrie presses a kiss to Nico's cheek, words of encouragement whispered quickly in his ear as Minos finishes his declaration then vanishes from his side. A steady thrum builds in Nico's chest, a power he never knew he had, as he lets his sword morph out, gleaming dark and haunting.

"No," he says firmly. " _I_ am."

Smoothly he stabs the ground and feels it give, like soft butter on a warm day. 

"Never!" Minos screams. "I will not-"

He vanishes as the ground rumbles and the walls crack, the ground opening up and Nico watches blue shades disappear into blackness. A being lunges at him but his sword slices through her as though she was a mirage. She steadies him, yells something he can't quite hear and works something onto his back while simultaneously dragging him over to cracked area, bright blue glittering back at him.

"Jump!" the girl commands from his side, hands pushing against his back.

She tugs him out and finds himself falling, his voice screeching and dying into the wind. His arm fall out and he's caught in the air, descending much slower than he had been but still falling.

"Nico!" Annabeth yells nearby. "Keep yourself steady! When I say go, pull yourself in and I'll grab you!"

That does not sound safe but he hears the sizzling of something and doesn't want to wait to find out what it means. When she screams again, he tugs his arms inwards and lets himself plummet, only vaguely pleased that he would never be able to see the ground before he hit it. She catches him, a grunt escaping her mouth.

"Shit!" she hisses as they both fell, awkwardly looping in the air.

He slings his arms around her neck, legs around her waist, feet nudging and cane tapping against something solid, and she lets go of his back, arms extending outwards. "Wings?"

"Yeah," she says loudly.

"Oh." He tucks his face into the crook of her neck. "Cool."

They soar for a slight while longer before landing rockily to the ground. He gives a satisfied hum as he hears Percy fall flat on his face and Annabeth snorts in agreement.

The girl who pushed him stumbles forward. "Omigosh! I'm so sorry," she says. "I didn't realize-" She stops like she's not sure if she's supposed to mention it or not. "Well, good thing Annabeth caught you!" she chirps after a few seconds of awkward silence.

"Yes, it is," Annabeth sniffs, taking the wings out of Nico's hands.

The crinkle and screech as they're stuffed into trashcans and Percy, with a new grey smudge, says, "It's gone. There's just a hill now."

"The workshop moved," Annabeth surmises. "There's no telling where."

"So what do we do now? How do we get back in the mze?"

Annabeth shifts, her colours glittering in the sun. Nico presses a hand to shield his eyes. It's completely unfair, he thinks, that he's blind and also light sensitive. Clearly the Fates hate him.

"Maybe we can't. If Daedalus died..." Annabeth trails off, pausing for a moment. "He said his life force was tied to Labyrinth. The whole thing might've been destroyed. Maybe that will stop Luke's invasion."

An unsure tone sits in her voice.

Nico rolls his shoulders. "No. He isn't dead."

"How can you be sure?" Percy asks and Nico wants a sign that says SON OF HADES that he can point to whenever people ask him stupid questions like that.

"I  _know_ when people die. It's this feeling I get, like a buzzing in my ears." He doesn't say he learnt this by stumbling across a man having a heart ache, people trying to resuscitate him while a painful screech in Nico's ears sounded into a silent buzz, Lorrie there and pulling him away before he could have a fit.

"What about Tyson and Grover then?" Hopefullness curls around the question like a noose and Nico feels a little horrible when he shakes his head and says. "That's harder. They're not humans or half-bloods. They don't have mortal souls."

Percy's whole body seems to give out and Annabeth swiftly pulls them away from that side of the conversation. Nico scratches his side while they talk, Percy sounding hellbent on getting back into the Labyrinth, and he follows Annabeth as she goes to the gift shop under the guise of being hungry. He doesn't want to be alone with Percy or the girl, Rachel. It's only slightly worse than staying behind in that Annabeth seems to keep looking at him.

"I can feel you staring," he says.

"Sorry. I just..." She takes a deep breath, fiddling with the change in her pocket. "I've always been in camp so I've never really  _seen_ -" She stops and swallows audibly. "You want a bag of chips?"

He nods patiently and listens while she buys them a bag of chips and a prism. They meander to an empty area and Nico lingers off to the side, chewing quietly while she talked to Chiron. When she's done, she snags a few of chips and they eat the rest of the bag in silence before heading back. Rachel somehow manages to get them a ride which takes a good hour and half to get anywhere, Nico snapping awake from where he was dozing on Annabeth's arm as Rachel yells, "Get off the highway!"

He's not sure where they are but the sharp smell of coal burns in his nose and the earth is soft under his feet. He follows them in, walking with a surety even as Rachel stammers that he might feel better staying in the car, Robert can take him to a bus station if he'd prefer.

"No, I'm fine," Nico says easily, heading up a hill.

He can feel a slight pull of _something_ urging him there. When they make it to the entrance, Percy kicks down a few boards and he heaves himself inside, listening to Rachel's footsteps as dirt turns to hard stone. She begins discussing architecture with Annabeth and Percy, evidently not a fan of architecture, hangs back a little. His hand keeps grazing Nico's arm like he wants to take it, show Nico the way himself, and finally Nico just hoists his cane to his side, grabbing the inside of Percy's elbow.

"Don't let me fall," he snaps.

Percy tenses. "I won't." He pauses for a few minutes before saying, "Thanks for coming after us."

Nico frowns, eyes narrowing. Percy sounds sincere. "I owed you for the ranch, Percy. Plus... I wanted to see Daedalus for myself. Minos was right, in a way." He rolls his shoulder."Daedalus should die. Nobody should be able to avoid death for that long. It's not natural."

Percy hums in a patient agreement. "That's what you were after all along. Trading Daedalus's soul for your sisters's."

They walk a long way before Nico finally brings himself to respond. "It hasn't been easy, you know. Having only the dead for company. Knowing that I'll never be accepted by the living. Only the dead respect me and they only do that out of fear."

Lorrie's voice snickers at the back of his mind. Most of the dead, he rephrases mentally as Percy guides him around a dip in the path.

"You could be accepted," he says as thought it's that simple. "You could have friends."

Nico's grip on Percy's elbow tightens and he tries not to let the hope bleed through his voice. "Do you really believe that, Percy?"

He doesn't get a chance to respond, pulling up sudden and short. Nico's can swings loosely, bumping into something and he frowns about ready to ask why they've stopped when a slow whistling of wind echoes down the tunnel, the smell of death riding on it.

"Luke's entrance," Annabeth assumes, sounding uneasy. "The one to Mouth Othrys. The Titan's palace."

"I have to check it out," Percy says almost immediately, like he has a death wish.

He and Annabeth hiss at each other but finally Annabeth presses something into his hand and he's gone.

"He's an idiot," Nico says easily once Percy's footsteps die off.

"Yeah," Annabeth agrees. Her voice is muffled but the affection still bleeds through.

They mingle about in a slow patience, Annabeth and Rachel muttering about going after Percy just in case, when something familar tugs in Nico's gut. Lorrie had guided him to a hospital once and he had felt it, the same tug. Life blooms ahead of him, a soul that had not been there before but unlike the small babies being birthed, this soul rolls with an intense power that makes him want to run. He freezes in abject horror as he searches, as Lorrie had patiently taught him to, for Percy's soul among the crowd.

"We have to get him," he hisses, latching on to and letting it drag him along.

"What?" Nico's already down the tunnel, tap-tap-tapping like his life depends on it. Annabeth chases after him, snagging the back of his shirt. "What?"

"Kronos is awake," he whispers and the air around them warps colder.

Annabeth doesn't freeze. She doesn't tense or demand anything. She simply shouts at Rachel and grabs Nico's hand, pulling him along as she races down the tunnel, Rachel surging ahead.

"PERCY!" she screams and there's a thunk, a voice yelling, "OW!"

Percy's blur collides forward, snatching at Annabeth whose frozen, her voice confused as she says, "Luke? What-"

Percy hauls her away, his free hand snagging Nico's arm and they run back to the entrance, almost there, when an odd voice, wrecked and hoarse and cold as night bellows, "AFTER THEM!"

Nico stops sudden, planted, Percy stumbling ahead of him as he releases Nico's arm. His focus reorients behind him and he yells, "NO!", clapping his hands together. The earth rips out of the ground, walls shaking as the front of the building crashed down. Percy swore, moving forward and heaving Nico into him as they started off again. They kept running until they were all exhausted, Nico rolling into himself as he settled on the ground, trying his best to focus on his own heavy breathing instead of Annabeth's sobs.

"That. Sucked," he said as Percy plopped beside him.

"You saved our lives," Percy said. Nico shrugged, wiping dust from his face. What did a person say to that? It'd be easier if the girls had just dragged him along. Prcy pants a little more. "Nico... you, uh, kind of gave yourself away."

"What do you mean?"

"The wall of black stone? That was pretty impressive but if Kronos didn't know who you were before, he does now." He coughs a bit. "A child of the Underworld."

Nico shrugs. "Big deal." He highly doubts Kronos wants a blind child who argues with ghosts and can barely use the one cool aspect of his powers because it requires visualization.

Annabeth sniffles some more and Nico goes back to focusing on his breathing, trying his best to tune out the resulting argument between her and Percy. He decides it best not mention how anchored Kronos's soul was to Luke's body, how stuck and in control he was. How he could sense the little bit of Luke's soul that lingered growing weaker as they ran down the tunnel.

He waits until they're done and instead says, "We have to keep moving. He'll send monsters after us."

Percy agrees and they're about ready to move when Percy freezes. "Grover," he mumbles. "Tyson. We have to follow them. They went that way. It must have been recently."

The light is too dim for Nico to see anything properly so he has no idea what's going on and says, "What about Camp Half-Blood? There's no time."

Annabeth's voice rings out stronger now, determine. "We have to find them. They're our friends."

And Nico has no choice but to follow as Rachel patters after them. They find Grover and Tyson and move on ahead, wading through an underground river. Nico clamps on to Percy's offered arm again as they move and Percy doesn't bother dropping it as they move out of the water, instead bustling a little quicker as though to keep Nico as latched on as possible. An awkward feeling rolls in Nico's chest and he squashes it immediately and easily as they step into a room that invigorates him like a good night's sleep. The smell of flowers wafted in the air and the world around him felt warm.

Grover talks to Pan while Nico and the other kneel. Everyone sounds so awed and amazed but all Nico can see is intense brightness that burns his eyes. Jealousy bakes in his chest then rolls out as Pan begins to address them all individually. He skips over Nico and then dies, his soul fading away like the light, shedding them into darkness. There is a click of a flashlight but Nico ignores it, eyes squeezed shut to blink back the tears burning in his eyes, thinking back to what Percy had said earlier about acceptance.

If a dying god couldn't accept him, who was?

* * *

 

Evidently not a bunch of pegasus, who keep shying away from him. Fed up and tired, he snaps, "Go without me! I don't want to go back to that camp anyway."

"Nico," Percy whines, "we need your help."

Nico just crosses his arms and scowles, trying to remember what the old Chinese lady's name was. He should go visit her, maybe water her plants and get a home cooked meal again. Annabeth presses her hand to his shoulder.

"Nico. Please."

He sighs, feeling bitter. "All right," he says, quickly adding, "For  _you_ " so Percy won't get any ideas that Nico is doing this in any slightest _for him_. "But I'm not staying."

Annabeth helps him onto the back of a pegasus who whines and recoils and Nico just grumbles as he wraps his arms around it's neck so he won't fall off. When they reach camp the fighting has yet to truly begin but everyone is in battle mode. Chiron seems a bit surprised to see Nico but Nico's pretty sure it's the blind thing as he heads off to get himself fitted with armor. The boy helping people seems a bit bothered at the idea of arming a blind kid but Nico  _calmly_ states that he will fight with or without armor and then begins to walk off again. The boy ushers him back, gets him fitted and sends him on his way.

"Nico?" Travis's voice sounds close to his left and Nico reaches out for him instinctively.

"Travis."

"You- you're-" He seems a bit stunned and ready to say something else when the earth trembles and Chiron yells, "Lock sheilds!"

There's an explosion and everything dives into chaos. Travis tries to tug Nico from surging forward but he is the Ghost King. He can do this.

"Attaboy!" Lorrie cheers from his side as he sidesteps the forces of life blooming around him.

He dives into a roll, shifts to the side and slashes at the monsters. It's all he can truly focus on, human enemy blurring into human friend so he pays attention to the souls of the telekhines and stabs, Lorrie yelling out before he can be caught off-guard by anything or anyone. He manuevers to the side and stabs another telekhine just as Percy calls out to him.

Lorrie hisses, "Your left!"

His vision slips, blurring more as he swirls, the pulsing souls of monsters easing past and to his left. He stills and holds out his sword, focused. "Serve me," he calls and the dead rip out of the earth.

He crumbles, exhausted to his knees and then to his side. Lorrie pressed a cool hand to his face.

"Good boy," she whispers. "Don't move. It'll be okay."

"So this is what death feels like," he slurs and Lorrie swats at him.

"Shush, it'll be ok-"

She's cut off by an inhuman noise and sound of a thousand fleeing soldiers. Well, Nico thinks it's a thousand. It's too many to count and he's too tired and sleepy and his eyes fall shut, the sound of Lorrie hissing at him to keep his eyes open fading out. Just as everything starts to fade into nothing, something wet hits his mouth and he chokes on it, coughing and spluttering.

"Nico, what happened?" Percy asks, sounding worried and scared and terrified. "Can you talk?"

He nods weakly, pulling himself out the pulsing of souls. "Never tried to summon so many before." He coughs. "I-I'll be fine."

They help him sit up and ease more nectar into his mouth. Daedalus steps forward and Nico can feel his soul pulsing. He relaxes into Percy's arm and waits. The old inventor understands that it's his time, he realizes. His soul is relaxed and unguarded.

"Your time has long since come," Nico murmurs once Daedalus is done. "Be released and rest."

The beast beside him howls as his body fell away, his soul fading off into a blue fog. Lorrie steps forward and takes his hand, giving Nico a short wave before vanishing, taking the inventor with her. Nico slumps.

Dear gods, he is tired.

* * *

 

Percy catches him as he sneaks away, walking in as Bianca whispers, her hand caressing his face, "I will always love you."

She fades away and Nico curls into himself. He can't remember what she looks like he realizes and his voice is hoarse as he says to Percy, "Saying good-bye."

"We missed you at dinner," Percy says. "You could've sat with me." He sounds pleading, desperate, like he knows exactly what Nico plans to do and hopes for the exact opposite.

"No."

"Nico, you can't miss every meal," Percy laughs sadly. "If you don't want to stay with Hermes, maybe they can make an exception and put you in the Big House. They've got plenty of rooms."

"I'm not staying, Percy," Nico whispers and Percy steps closer.

Nico shies away and he stops, sighing. "You can't leave. It's too dangerous out there for a lone half-blood. You need to train."

"I train with the dead," Nico says, thinking of Lorrie and her whispered guidance, Minos and his teaching and the skeletons he'd summoned on occassion to fight against. "This camp isn't for me. There's a reason they didn't put a cabin to Hades here, Percy. He's not welcome, any more than he is on Olympus. I don't belong." His voice drops and goes hoarse again. "I have to go."

Percy stays quiet before shifting a little closer. Nico doesn't shy away and lets him come. "When will you go?" he finally asks.

"Right away," Nico says, fiddling with his cane handle. "I've got tons of questions. Like who was my mother? Who paid for Bianca and me to go to school? Who was that lawyer guy who gout us out the Lotus Hotel?" He gives a short laugh. "I know  _nothing_ about my past. I need to find out."

"Makes sense," Percy says. "But I hope we don't have to be enemies."

Nico flushes a little. "I'm sorry I was a brat. I should've listened to you about Bianca."

Percy snorts and there's a shifting. "By the way, Tyson found this while we were cleaning the cabin. Thought you might want it." He holds out his hand and Nico reaches to take it.

"What is it?" he asks.

"The figurine Bianca took. The one you dropped when you..." Percy trails off and Nico swallows, pushing it into his pocket.

"Thanks for the gesture, Percy, but it's a visual game. I can't play it anymore. Besides-" He scuffs at the ground. "-it's for kids."

"Right," Percy says, sounding guilty and sad. "I-" He stops. Inhales deeply. "How?"

"I don't know. Might be a genetic thing," Nico says, rubbing his cheek. "I just started waking up and everything was growing darker and blurrier until everything was a massive blur."

"So you can still see?"

"Some colours," Nico allows, "and sometimes shapes but nothing looks... normal. And everything stops here." He puts his hands on the sides of his eyes trying to line up the side of his hands with where his vision cuts off the peripheral.

"Oh," Percy says, sounding slightly surprised. "I always thought it was darkness."

"Me too," Nico says. "But it's not." He shifts awkwardly. "Um, could I-" He reached up into the general direction what he assumed was Percy's face, fingertips brushing his chin. Percy doesn't say anything and Nico's not quite sure how to finish his request, swallowing and going through with it anyway.

He'd always had a vague assumption that touching faces was a myth and now he knows it definitely is. But he doesn't pull back, part of him _wanting_ , sliding his fingers up Percy's skin to the edge of his hairline. Percy makes a surprised noise but leans into the touch, bending slightly to accomdate the difference in their heights. His eyes flutter shut, lashes brushing Nico's thumb as he curves his hands down. When he's done, he pulls back.

"Like you remember?" Percy asks.

A calm before the storm, Nico thinks. Tensed but relaxed. He nods. "Yeah." He steps back. "Um, if I learn anything useful, I'll let you know."

Percy hums and then stutters, "I'm nodding." He shifts. "Keep in touch, Nico."

Nico nods back and turns, letting the beckoning shadows pull him in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I headcanon that since Nico's blind and Hades is very aware that Minos probably can't teach his son how to properly manuever around as a blind person, he sends Lorrie, one of his wife's favoured spirits, out to help him since she had a blind sibling as well.
> 
> Lorrie likes to focus on the positive side of things so she encourages Nico to use his powers in a positive light, teaching him how to sense life instead of just death, which helps him get around as he's able to maneuver around alive souls when he can sense them. She also teaches him how to sense monster souls. This all comes to light when he takes on the role of the Ghost King, which is why she vanishes because she knows he can handle himself in that moment.


	2. The Sword of Hades

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this one's the Sword of Hades quest and also the birthday cake scene I forgot from the last book.  
>   
> I've also edited the crap out of Persephone's personality because I choose to believe that unlike Hera, she has a soft spot for her husband's children and actually _loves_ Hades, no matter how many people keep insisting that she doesn't and refuse to write her as being affectionate.  
>   
>  I'm partially sobbing because this took forever (other stuff came up, sorry!) and also because I was like two seconds from finishing before I realized that I completely changed the tense from the one the first chapter was written in and spent an hour debating whether or not I should change it or just go back and edit the last chapter.  
>   
> I still haven't decided yet so apologies for the sudden change in tense.

**BIRTHDAY CAKE SCENE I FORGOT FROM THE LAST CHAPTER**

Percy's soul separated from the others, stepping outside onto the fire escape. Nico honed in on it, feeling the shadows tug at his clothes before he stepped in. He reappeared at Percy's side, close enough to see a small sliver of silver pop out of a pot Percy was hovering over and smell the deep scent of salt water that seemed to stick to Percy like glue.

"Nice plant," Nico said and Percy yelled and scattered to the side like a cat. "Sorry. Didn't mean to startle you."

"That's- that's okay," Percy said. "I mean... what are you doing here?"

Nico fiddled with his cane, brushing a hand through his hair nervously. He should probably get it cut sometime soon. "I've done some exploring. Thought you'd like to know, Daedalus got his punishment."

"You sa- hear- um-"

"It's okay, Percy," Nico said easily. "Relax."

Percy swallowed audibly, giving a short burst of uncomfortable laughter. "Sorry."

"It's fine." Nico rolled his shoulders. "Yeah, Minos wanted to boil him in cheese fondue for eternity but my father had other ideas. Daedalus will be building overpasses and exist ramps in Asphodel for all time. It'l help ease the traffic congestion." Nico grinned loosely. "Truthfully, I think the old guy is pretty happy with that. He's still building. Still creating. And he gets to see his son and Perdix on the weekends."

"That's good."

Nico nodded and bumped his cane against the ground twice. "But that's not the real reason I've come. I've found out some things. I want to make you an offer."

"What?"

"The way to beat Luke," Nico explained. "If I 'm right, it's the  _only_ way you'll stand a chance."

Percy took a deep breath. "Okay." His voice edged in worry but was steady. Firm. Ready. "I'm listening."

Nico nodded and took a breath, inhaling the sharp scent of sweet confection. He stopped, eyes narrowing. "Is that... is that cake?" He squinted into the open window, seeing what were probably balloons tied to different parts of the room. "Oh." He took a step back. This wasn't the time. "It's your birthday?"

Percy reached out for him, already offering his arm like it was second nature. "Yeah. It is. You should-" A pleasant grin was in his voice. "You should come inside for cake and ice cream. It sounds like we've got a lot to talk about."

* * *

 

* * *

 

**THE SWORD OF HADES**

Nico crossed his arms, trying to look his sternest. "Answer me!"

The spirit in front of him shimmered. "I cannot, my king-" and Nico tried not to look a little bit too pleased at being called that."-tell you the name. I do not-"

"NICO!" That was... Lorrie. Why was she-

Everything went dark and he panicked, finding himself tumbling through soft dampness and falling to the hard earth. The smell of the ocean lingered close by, salty, and there was an electric pulse that pounded nearby, keeping his hair on edge. With a muttered, "Ow", he pushed up and dusted off his jacket, about ready to ask Lorrie where he was.

"Nico?"

He paused.  _Percy?_

"Wha- That's-" A familiar voice stuttered, stumbling over her words and Nico narrowed his eyes. The voice caught herself. "Bianca's little brother?"

He tensed, his lips falling into a scowl.  _Thalia_. That explained the electric pulsing he felt rolling off her. It was too subtle to notice if all you were doing was just looking at her, he'd realized, but thinking back to their  _first_ meeting, he could remember the vague twitch of electricity in her hair.

"Why'd you bring me here?" he grumbled. "One minute I'm in a New Orleans graveyard. The next minute-" He paused and blinked rapidly, a minor habit he'd yet to get rid of. "Where am I?"

"New York," Percy said, all smooth and pretty-voiced and Nico scowled deeper. "And we didn't bring you here. We were-" His voice faltered. "We were brought together." Something significant held in his voice, nervous. "All three of us."

"What are talking about?" Nico snapped, already annoyed with the conversation.

"The children of the Big Three," Percy said and his colours shifted. "Zeus, Poseidon, Hades."

Thalia inhaled sharply, the electric burn rolling off her growing a slight bit stronger as she grew more nervous. "The prophecy," she said. She took another deep breath. "You don't think Kronos..."

She trailed off, a panicked and nervous edge to her voice. Nico, however, found himself slightly calm. If they were there for Kronos, he highly doubted the Titan was going to pay _any_  attention to him. Monsters already edged around him, teasing him and laughing, as though being blind made him an easier kill. They always found out how wrong they were quickly after.

The ground rumbled and Nico snapped to attention, cane merging into sword, just as a mass of black darted backwards into the green and barked rapidly. Percy shouted something but it didn't matter. The ground ripped open under his feet and plunged him into certain darkness. He screeched, feeling his throat rip.

Nico wasn't exactly fond of the dark, more because losing what little sight he had did not make him feel comfortable in the slightest.

And then the familar breeze of soft summer air rolled over his skin, glinting shimmers warping around him. Lorrie's voice laughed somewhere far away and there was a pleasant chiming. Rich earthly tones blended deeply into sweet scent of fruit. He relaxed.

Persephone's garden. Perfect. 

"What- where are we?" Thalia asked, sounding lost. Her colours shifted, warping bright in the glinting light.

"I've been here before," Percy said faintly.

Nico held a hand over his eyes, the glow of the gem and jewel flowers too bright for his eyes to stand. It was not fair that on top of being blind he had to be sensitive to light. The Fates must've hated him. He frowned, trying to remember the way out, hand swatting at a pomegranate. "My step-mother Persephone's garden," he said, turning left. "Don't eat anything."

Percy made a noise of agreement as the sound of a bowstring being drawn back curved in the air, Thalia saying, "Heads up."

Nico glanced in her direction, catching sight of a shifting white blob. The blob smelled like death and flowers and Lorrie's soul was floating alongside it.

 _Persephone_.

Great.

"I am Persephone," the blob said. "Welcome, demigods." Her voice was just as warm and pleasant as Nico remembered. "Oh, Lorrie. The glasses, if you would."

"Of course, my Lady," Lorrie chirped, skittering forward. Nico felt her cool hands press to the sides of his face, sunglasses dimming the world around him.

"Thank you," he said easily, ignoring the way Percy shifted uneasily beside him.

"You're welcome," Persephone mused. "As I was saying, demigods, I welcome you to my garden."

Thalia's colours shifted, the twang of her string sounding. "You sent the golden deer?"

"And the hellhound," she admitted. "And the shadow that collected Nico. It was necessary to bring you together."

"Why?" Caution and distrust was heavy in his voice.

"Lord Hades has a problem." Persephone's voice fell cold. "And if you know what's good for you, you will help him."

* * *

They sat on a veranda overlooking the garden, Nico pushing the shades up to the top of his head as the lights around him dimmed to black. Souls rolled back and forth, depositing food that no one touched. As usual, they smelled deeply of daisies and hemlock. Percy and Thalia had stationed themselves on either side of him, both tense and uneasy.

According to Lorrie, the veranda was quite pleasing, the view of the garden stunning, so he wasn't quite sure what they were all worried about.

Persephone's blob twisted in a dull blue, settling on a silver smudge. "If this were spring, I'd be able to greet you in the world above." She let out a sigh. "Alas, in winter this is best I can do."

She sounded annoyed but Nico knew that it was more at the inconvenience at having to drag the three of them down there rather than just being able to have a lunch at a nice restaurant. After all these millennia, she was quite happy living with his father half the year. She preferred it, though she did miss the sunshine according to Lorrie. According to Persphone, it was mostly because she lost all colour in the darkness, not that she minded that too much.

"Hades is my husband, young one. I would do anything for him," she said, sternly.

Lorrie hissed into Nico's ear as she settled behind him, "Talking to the other two. Don't think they understand she's  _happy_ here."

Nico resisted the urge to smirk as Persephone continued, "But in this case, I need your help and quickly. It concerns Lord Hades's sword."

Nico cocked his head, frowning. "My father doesn't have a sword." If he did, then Nico would've probably lost a lot more mythomagic battles. "He uses a staff in battle and his helm of terror."

"He  _didn't_ have a sword," Persephone corrected.

"He's forging a new symbol of power?" Thalia asked. "Without Zeus's permission?"

"Oh, she's miffed now. Got that annoyed air to her face," Lorrie whispered. "Damn, lightning girl. Don't mention the douche down here."

Above their table, colours were flickering but Nico wasn't paying much attention to it, listening to the hammer of . Persephone cleared her throat. "Our weapon smiths working in their forge. Black flames and, um, hammers that resemble metal skulls." She coughed again and Nico resisted the urge to smile. She tried. He appreciated it. "Anyway, the war with the Titans is almost upon us. My lord Hades must be ready."

"But Zeus and Poseidon would never allow Hades to froge a new weapon!" Thalia snapped, the electric smell growing stronger with her rage. "It would unbalance their power-sharing agreement."

"She's shaking her head," Lorrie murmured.

"You mean it would make Hades their equal." Heavy emphasis was on 'equal'. "Believe me, daughter of Zeus," Persephone continued, a dark edge to her voice, "the Lord of the Dead has no designs against his brothers. HE knew they would never understand-" And her voice edged, fell slightly. A lie. "-which is why he forged the blade in secret."

Nico tensed. Why was she lying?

"Is that a key?" Percy asked.

Nico choked. "The keys of Hades?"

"Wait." Thalia's colours shifting heavily and he had the vague sense she was staring at him. "What are the keys to Hades?"

"Hades has a set of golden keys that can lock or unlock death." He took a breath. "At least... that's the legend."

"It is true," Persephone confirmed.

"How do you lock and unlock death?" Percy asked. It was a fair question.

"The keys have the power to imprison a soul in the Underworld," Persephone said. "Or to release it."

Nico swallowed audibly, unfortunate thoughts arising in his head. "If one of those keys has been set in the sword-"

"The wielder can raise the dead," Persephone finished, "or slay any living thing and send its soul to Underworld with a mere touch of the blade."

A tense silence stormed between them, thick and palpable. The gurgling of the fountain seemed to grow louder and louder. Lorrie shifted around them and set another tray of food down before flittering over to his step-mother's side.

"That's a wicked sword," Percy said finally.

"It would make Hades unstoppable," Thalia said. She didn't sound pleased or intrigued by that. More pissed over the fact.

Nico kinda wanted to flick her.

"So you see," Persephone began, "why you must help me get it back?"

"Did you say  _get it back_?" Percy asked, bewilderment in his voice.

"Oh, white boy's in for it now," another one of Persephone's handmaiden's snickered in Nico's ear as she passed by. To stop from laughing, Nico bit down on his tongue. "Eyes all serious and pale. She gon kill 'im."

"The blade was stolen when it was almost finished." Persephone's voice was thick and deadly. Nico shivered despite himself. "I do not know how, but I suspect a demigod, some servant of Kronos. If the blade falls into the Titan lord's hands-"

Thalia's smudge of colours shot up sudden. "You allowed the blade to be stolen! How stupid was that? Kronos probably has it by now!"

The spirits behind them bristled angrily and outraged and Persephone's voice darkened. "Take care, huntress. Your father may be Zeus and you  _may_ be the lieutenant of Artemis but you do  _not_ speak to me with disrespect in my own palace."

Seething hissed out of Thalia's voice. "Give... me... back... my... bow."

The smell of flowers disappeared. "Now, sit and listen. The sword could not have left the Underworld left. Lord Hades used his remaining keys to shut down the realm. Nothing gets in or out until he finds the sword and he is using all his power to locate the thief."

Thalia's colours sat down. "Then what do you need us for?"

"The search for the blade cannot be common knowledge." Persephone's voice was settled now, calmer but still tense. "We have locked the realm but have not announced why nor can Hades's servants be used for the search. They cannot know the blade exists until it is finished. Certainly they can't know it is missing."

"If they thought Hades was in trouble, they might desert him and join the Titans," Nico mused. Well, all of them might except for Thantos.

"The thief must be a demigod. No immortal can steal another immortal's weapon directly. Even Kronos must abide by that Ancient Law. He has a champion down here somewhere. And to catch a demigod... we shall use three."

"Why us?" Percy asked.

"You are the children of the three major gods. Who could withstand your combined power?" Her tone was too airy and Nico cocked his head, wondering what she had planned. "Besides, when you restore the sword to Hades, you will send a message to Olympus. Zeus and Posiedon will not protest Hades's new weapon if it is given to him by their own children. It will show that you trust Hades."

And there it was.

"But I don't trust him," Thalia said, voice at a near snarl.

"Ditto," Percy said. "Why should we do anything for Hades, much less give him a superweapon. Right, Nico?"

Nico stared in the general direction of his feet. His fingers tapped on his cane.

"Right, Nico?" Percy repeated, waiting.

Nico swallowed and turned in the direction of Percy's voice.  _He's_   _not a bad guy_ , he thought patiently.  _Your parents are actually worse_. Instead, he took a breath and said, "I have to do this, Percy. He's my father."

"Oh, no way," Thalia said. An annoyed laugh edged in her tone. "You can't believe this is a good idea!"

Nico squared his shoulders, glancing away from Percy's pretty colours. "Would you rather have the sword in Kronos's hands?"

"Time is wasting," Persephone called to them. "The thief may have accomplices in the Underworld and he will be looking for a way out."

"I thought yous aid the realm was locked," Percy said.

"No prison is airtight," Persephone said. "Not even the Underworld. Souls are always finding new ways out faster than Hades can close them. You must retrieve the sword before it leaves our realm, or all is lost."

"Even if we wanted to," Thalia said, tone implying that she did  _not_ want to, "how would we find this thief?"

Something thudded on the table. "This will guide you."

"A magic carnation?" Percy asked.

"The flower always faces the thief. As your prey gets closer to escaping, the petals will fall off." One of the maidens, Anya, whispered that a petal had already fallen. "If all the petals fall off, the flower dies. This means the thief has reached an exit and you have failed."

Nico nodded, ready to do this or die trying.

He really hoped he wouldn't die. Lorrie would be pissed.

"One condition," Percy said. "Hades will have to swear on the River Styx that he will never use this sword against the gods."

Nico frowned. What? Persephone hummed, bored. "I am not Lord Hades, but I am confident he would do this- as payment for your help."

"Another petal has fallen," Anya whispered.

"I'll hold the flower while you beat up the thief?" Percy chirped.

Nico was ready to grin, pleased at the thought Percy thinking highly of him, when Anya whispered, "Not you" and Thalia sighed, "Fine. Let's go catch this jerk."

He dropped his shoulders before anyone could see and stood. "Let's go then."

* * *

Nico led the way, his hand steady on Percy's elbow. He'd offered it immediately, even after Nico explained how spirits were naturally wary of Stygian Iron. Thalia grumbled behind them. As they neared the Fields of Asphodel, Percy cleared his throat.

"Did Persephone seem kind of uptight?"

Nico snorted, slashing his cane through a mob of souls. They scattered immediately, hissing. "She always acts that way when demigods are around. Unless it's her own kid."

"Oh," Percy said, sounding sorry.

Nico rolled his eyes. "I count as her kid, Percy."

"Oh!" Nico grinned loosely at the flustered tone to his voice. "I just thou-"

"Not every god's relationship is like Zeus and Hera's," Nico interrupted. "She likes me. She loves my father. Contrary to popular belief, she is happy here."

The silence that washed over them was thick and palpable again but this time it didn't bother Nico too much. He hurried on ahead before Percy or Thalia could question him, Percy snapping forward to rest his arm under Nico's free hand. He rolled his shoulders and tucked his hand around his elbow again.

"You're handy with zombie crowds," Thalia chuckled, drawing closer as he slashed through another onslaught of moaning souls. "Think I'll take you along next time I go to the mall."

Nico ignored her and Percy, tuning out their conversation as they dived deeper into the Fields. Shades rolled closer, hissing, whispering, demanding. Souls were so needy.

"Rude," Lorrie snickered beside him.

"Silence," he said and Lorrie bopped his nose.

"Boy's kinda cute," she mused, her voice loud and teasing. "Girl's better looking though. Tap that, I would."

He swatted at her with his cane, aware of the sudden awkwardness in the air as Percy and Thalia had finished their conversation. Lorrie vanished, her lilting laugh still rolling through the air. Nico rolled his shoulders, annoyed, and pressed on a little faster.

Thalia coughed awkardly. "Who-"

"A friend," he interrupted. "Lorrie. She used to guide me."

"Seems nice," Percy said. His voice was little off and strangled.

"She is," Nico assured. "She's one of my father's attendants and one of Persephone's favoured spirits."

"And she taught you how to, um..." Percy trailed off, his arm going tense under Nico's hand.

"Yes, Percy. She taught me how to get around and how to fold my money and how to avoid being swindled by assholes who think it's okay to take advantage of the blind kid." The anger seeped heavy into his voice and Percy's swallow was audible and loud. Thalia's electricity crackled slightly, nearly silent under the muttering of the spirits around them.

Nico stopped and took a breath. Being blind wasn't a touchy subject for him. The way people acted about him being blind  _was_. Lorrie was a godsend when she first showed up, whispering assurances to the sobbing boy who'd run into another wall, unable to tell them apart from the blur of similarly shaded people. She didn't treat him like glass, or trail off every time she started approaching the subject. 

She was decent and she was kind. She was helpful where no one else was and for all that he was, Nico  _wished_ someone would take a page out of her book.

"Where's the flower pointing?" he grumbled as the heavy silence peeled on, tense and uncomfortable.

Percy gave a start and then shifted, tugging Nico gently towards the left. "This way."

Nico moved on. The Fields of Punishment grew closer and after snapping at some skeletal guards, they entered. Ahead of them, souls screamed and somewhere 1980's music was pounding. Percy helped heave him over a stream of red bubbling lava, the smell rancid and burning. Nico took his arm again and they waded through. Thalia hissed and Percy gave an involuntary twitch every time they passed another area of torture. Nico grinned happily in spite of himself. Yeah, he could smell the blood and hear the screaming and practically taste the anguish in the air but seeing it was the real kicker.

And he could see practically nothing in the dim light. The soot smudging over his face didn't help make it any better.

Percy pulled to a stop as they exited another scene of torture, shivering. "Up there."

A loud grinding noise came from the other side of a large hill. Then the hill shook with blaring booms and Nico swore while a man yelled curses overhead.

Thalia took a breath. "Is that who I think it is?"

"Afraid so," Nico sighed, vaguely remembering Thanatos bringing him there to watch the man suffer. "The number-one expert on cheating death."

* * *

 

Thanatos had happily described Sisyphus's ragged appearance in heavy detail the first time he'd brought Nico there. According to him, watching the guy who tied him up and gagged him for three months suffer for all eternity was quite relaxing. Nico just liked to listen to him swear. It was interesting the words he learned.

Nico squeezed Percy's arm and set off forward. "Come on. While he's between attempts." They scrambled down the hill, Thalia catching the back of his shirt while he stumbled to a stop. "Sisyphus!"

The man, a smelly brown blur, immediately heaved himself behind his rock. "Oh no! You're not fooling me with those disguises! I know you're the Furies!"

"We're not the Furies!" Percy protested, his arm dropping from Nico's grip. "We just want to talk."

"Go away," Sisyphus shrieked. "Flowers won't make it better. It's too late to apologize!"

 _Apologize for what,_ Nico thought while Thalia took a step forward, her footsteps crunching loud on the deadened grass beneath them. "Look, we just want-"

"La-la-la," Sisyphus yelled. "I'm not listening!"

"I love how insane he's gone," Thanatos had chirped. "He's gone completely mental. I love it." At the time, Nico had agreed, listening to Sisyphus discuss a deal with his boulder. At the present, he still agreed. Completely insane. Still, he'd be of some use.

Nico stood still, listening to Percy and Thalia swear as their muted colours blurred even more around the rock, Sisyphus alternating between violent cackles to sad laughter. Finally Thalia caught him. "Stop it!" he whined. "I have rocks to move. Rocks to move!"

"I'll move your rock!" Thalia spat. "Just shut up and talk to my friends."

Sisyphus gasped. "You'll- you'll move my rock?"

"It's better than looking at you." Thalia shoved him towards Percy and Nico. "Be quick about it." Slowly she huddled backwards and began moving the rock.

"Ow!" Percy snapped and Sisyphus huffed, "So you're really not a Fury." Amazement and shock sounded in his voice. "What's the flower for?"

"WE're looking for someone," Percy said, shifting slightly in front of Nico. "The flower is helping us find him,"

"Persephone!" Sisyphus spat and Nico frowned, disgusted. "That's one of her tracking devices, isn't it." His blur of colour took up all of Nico's limited sight, nearly squashing Percy's out of view. The ripened scent of old man rolled nauseatingly off of him. "I fooled her once, you know. I fooled them all."

Percy took a slight step back, urging Nico back with his palm. "Translation?"

Nico sighed and explained. "Sisyphus cheated death. First he chained up Thanatos, the reaper of souls, so no one could die. Then when Thanatos got free and was about to kill him-" Quite violently with lots of skin peeling and inane torture, he didn't mention. "-Sisyphus told his wife to do incorrect funeral rites so he wouldn't rest in peace. Sisy here- May I call you Sisy?"

Sisyphus sputtered, outraged. "No!"

Nico ignored him. "Sisy tricked Persphone into letting him go back to the world to haunt his wife. And he didn't come back."

Sisyphus cackled like a mad man. Nico could almost hear Thanatos whoop of delight. "I stayed alive another thirty years before they finally tracked me down."

"So that was your punishment," Percy said. "Rolling a boulder up a hill forever. Was it worth it?"

"A temporary setback," Sisyphus insisted as though Thanatos hadn't personally chipped him and made Cerebus aware of his scent in the event that he'd ever break out again. "I'll bust out of here soon and when I do, they'll all be sorry!"

"How would you get out of the Underworld?" Nico asked, patient because Sisyphus was an idiot. "It's locked down, you know."

There was something wicked in his tone. "That's what the other one asked."

"Someone else asked your advice?" Percy asked.

"An angry young man," Sisyphus recalled, sounding annoyed. "Not very polite. Held a sword to my throat. Didn't offer to roll my boulder at all."

 _I wonder why_ , Nico thought dryly, already bored with the conversation. He was quite tempted to stab the man and leave. "What did you tell him? Who was he?"

"Oh... it's hard to say," Sisyphus said, his soul pulsing agitatedly, colours shifting. "Never seen him before. He carried a long package all wrapped up in black cloth. Skis, maybe?  A shovel? Maybe if you wait here, I could go look for him..."

"What did you tell him?" Percy demanded.

"Can't remember," Sisyphus lied.

Nico hissed, letting his cane morph into his sword, wicked and cold. The air around the blade steamed. "Try harder."

"What kind of person carries a sword like that?"

"A son of Hades," Nico snapped. "Now  _answer_ me!"

Sisyphus swallowed. "I told him to talk to Melinoe! She always has a way out!"

Nico almost dropped his sword, going cold. Instead, his arm simply slumped, sword shifting back into a cane as he spat, "Are you crazy? That's  _suicide!_ "

"I've cheated death before. I could do it again."

"What did this demigod look like?" Nico snapped, tired.

"Um... he had a nose. And a mouth. And one eye and-"

"One eye?" Percy interrupted. "Did he have an eye patch?"

"Oh... maybe," Sisyphus said, faintly. "He had hair on his head. And-" He gasped. "There he is!"

Percy fell for it.

Nico, however, was a little less stupid. And also blind.

As Sisyphus attempted to take off down the hill, Nico jabbed his cane at his blur of colours, hitting something solid and listening happily as the man landed with a thump on the dying grass. Thanatos would be pleased. Percy swore and dove forward, stepping on his back as he drew his sword and pointed it to Sisyphus's throat.

"Curse you!" Sisyphus swore violently in several languages. "I'll never help you! Go to Hades!"

"Already there," Nico muttered just as Thalia called down, "Incoming!"

Nico blinked, something loud growing closer, a rolling _thumpa-thumpa-thump_. He squinted upwards at it but it didn't help. Was that the bould-

"Move!" Percy shouted, knocking him out of the way. They landed in a tangle of limbs as the boulder plowed straight into Sisyphus. Nico flushed as Percy panted into his neck. "Sorry," he mumured, pulling back and helping Nico to his feet.

"Take it again!" Sisyphus begged. "Please. I can't hold it."

"Not again," Thalia gasped, drawing closer. "You're on your won."

Sisyphus spat out some more colourful words and Nico shook his head, grabbing for whoever was closer and tugging them along, towards the swirling pull of the soul that lingered in Melinoe's cave. "Melinoe's cave is this way."

"How do you know?" Thalia panted.

Nico scowled and resisted the urge to spit that blind people _could_ get around by themselves. "This is my domain," he grumbled instead. "And I've- I've been there before." In actuality, he'd gotten lost and wound up there but they didn't need to know that. "Besides, I have all of my father's attendants' souls memorized. Melinoe's is this way."

"Wait, you can sense the living too?" Percy asked, sounding amazed. A flush of pleasure ran down Nico's back and he nodded. "That's so cool!"

"It's okay," he said, trying to sound flip. "Lorrie taught me." He bit his lip. "You asked about the demigod. Have you met him before?"

Percy went tense. "Ethan Nakamura, son of Nemesis," he said after a moment. "He's the one who freed Kronos."

"I remember," Nico said, thinking of the raging soul surging heavy into life. "We should hurry. Come on."

As they meandered off, they could hear Sisyphus screeching, "All right, but this is the last time. Do you hear me? The last time!"

Thalia shuddered beside him.

"You okay?" Percy asked her.

"I guess..." She paused, soul rolling in turmoil. "Percy, the scary thing is... when I got to the top, I thought I had it. I thought, This isn't so hard. I can get the rock to stay. And as it rolled down, I was almost tempted to try again. I figured I could get it the second time." Her voice was wistful and she stopped.

Percy reached out and tugged on her. "Come on," he said. "The sooner we're out of here, the better."

Nico couldn't agree more.

* * *

 They'd been walking forever and a day it felt like, every step they took growing darker and darker. Three other petals had fallen, leaving the carnation half-alive. Nico was more preoccupied on not tripping as he walked.

"Nice day for a stroll," Thalia muttered, kicking at a rock. "The Hunters are probably feasting in some forest glade right about now."

Steady silence trickled. Nico considered what he might have been doing about now. Probably camping out in some graveyard, dirt and leaves fluttering in his hair as he ate greasy cheeseburgers and french fries from a cart. He'd be considering coming back to the Underworld for the night but unwilling to, just in case his father tried to a put a stop to his investigations again. 

"So who is this Melinoe?" Percy asked, tugging Nico out of his thoughts.

He inhaled deeply. "Long story. Long, very scary story."  _And disgusting,_ he didn't say.

Percy took a breath, a sign he was about to ask another question, when Thalia stepped boldly in front of them, body dropped. Electricity crackled off her. "Weapons!"

Percy placed the carnation down on the ground as he drew his sword. Nico let his cane morph outwards as they all stepped, back-to-back, in an odd triangle. Thalia's elbow brushed against the top of his head, bowstring twanging as she pulled it back.

"What is it?" Percy whispered.

Thalia didn't say anything, listening. Then souls materialized around them, angry and pulsing bright red. Nico cocked his head, identifying them. Monsters.  _Daimones_.

"Keres," he hissed.

"What?" Percy asked, an edge of nerve to his voice.

"Battlefeild spirits," Nico explained, focusing. "They feed on violent death."

"Oh wonderful," Thalia muttered.

He ignored her, swiping his sword at them. "Get back! The son of Hades commands you!"

The Keres hissed, almost laughing. Their souls rolled in turmoil but seemed otherwise unimpressed with Nico's command, which sucked because he used his best commanding voice.

"Soon Hades will be defeated," the one to the far left snarled. "Our new master shall give us free rein!"

What? Nico blinked. "New master?"

It lunged and Nico started, heart clamoring, but Thalia swirled and shot an arrow over his head, hitting the _daimon_  with a painful thwack. It erupted into a burst of pale yellow, the stench of sulfur and bad eggs ruminating in the air. The rest roared in outrage in charge, snarling and hissing. A burst of pale blue shot around him as he swung his sword over Percy's head, cutting the monster in half.

It's soul vanished as another burst of pale yellow exploded into the air. He slung himself backwards, sweeping his sword in an arc through three of them just as Lorrie yelled, "Behind you!"

He twisted and stabbed.

"Iapetus shall crush you!" one shouted just before she exploded, Percy's colours and his soul raging.

The air grew colder and colder around them as Nico sliced through another group, kicking one in the head. It flew, landed near Thalia's crackling electricity, and then burst. The one behind her exploded soon after. She'd barely moved. Lorrie whooped.

"Die in pain, mortal!" another one screeched and, instinctively,  Nico swung around, slashing through air.

It wasn't talkign to him.

Percy's soul blackened violently and he shouted out in pain as Nico kicked the monster away and stabbed it. His colours dropped, curling into a tight ball and his soul pulsed from normal to black, normal to black, practically screaming in agony.

Thalia stabbed the last Keres, rushing to his side as Nico ripped nectar from out of her hand. "Hold still, Percy," she murmured, voice quivering. "You'll be fine."

Nico reached out for the wound, a violent shade of red amongst Percy's blue with the scent of rust and _disease_ piling up around it, and Percy shouted.

"Nectar," Nico whispered, opening the bottle with wet fingertips. "I'm pouring nectar on it."

As the golden liquid trickled down, a bright streak, Percy's breathing lessened and his soul stopped pulsing so angrily, easing into it's usual steady shifting. Thalia's burn of electricity lessened as she relaxed, dressing Percy's cut as he passed out again. She propped him up against a rock, settling back and rubbing her face. To keep himself from panicking, Nico fiddled with the pot, rubbing his hand up and down the rough stem of the plant. Another petal dropped over his hand.

He stilled.

Thalia shifted. "I'm sorry," she said finally. "About- about Bianca." A hand squeezed his knee. "I never got a chance to apologize."

Nico shrugged, fingering the five remaining petals. "It wasn't your fault," he whispered hoarsely. "It was her decision. Her choice."

"Still," Thalia said. "Losing a sibling-" Her voice broke and she took a few more breaths before finsihed. "Losing a sibling is always hard." The wet smack of her tongue on her lips sounded. "If you ever- ever wanted to talk... about it, I'm all ears. Honest."

Nico stayed quiet for a moment before asking, "Sister?"

Thalia squeezed his knee again. "Brother." She laughed, a little sad but a little happy. "He tried to eat a stapler once. Left a- a scar on his mouth." She snorted. "He looked a hot mess."

Nico laughed with her, bumping his elbow against hers. "Bianca, um, she used to- used act out songs when they played, if there was a story to them. She could dance but she always-" He smiled sadly. "She always acted as though she couldn't." He tugged a leaf. "Always looked stupid. I loved it." He tucked his knees to his chest, balancing the pot on top. "I miss her."

"Same," Thalia said patiently and they let the silence overtake them.

Half an hour later, Percy moaned, shifting and Thalia moved forward, her feet scuffing the ground. Something ripped and Percy's moaning was replaced but loud chewing, the sweet smell of ambrosia slightly overtaking the air.

"The Keres?" he mumbled, patting at the ground absentmindedly.

"Gone for now," Thalia hummed. "You had me worried for a second, Percy, but I think you'll make it."

 Nico crouched down beside them, still gripping the plant. "The Keres will be back," he warned. He inhaled deeply, still smelling the rotting stench of disease emitting from Percy's wound. "That wound... the Keres are spirits of disease and pestilence as well as violence. We can slow down the infection, but eventually you'll need serious healy. I mean a  _god's_ power. Otherwise..." _de_ _ath,_ he didn't finish.

Percy shuddered even as he said, "I'll be fine." There was a scuff against the ground, a quick groan pushing out of his mouth, and a slumping  _thump_.

"Slow," Thalia urged. "You need rest before you can move."

"There's no time," Percy huffed. "One of the  _daimones_ mentioned Iapetus. Am I remembering right? That's a Titan?"

Thalia wrapped up the rest of her ambrosia, the plastic crinkling. "The brother of Kronos, father of Atlas. He was known as the Titan of the west. His name means 'the Piercer' because that's what he likes to do to his enemies. He was cast into Tartarus along with his brothers. He supposed still be down there."

"But if the sword of Hades can unlock death?" Percy asked.

"Then maybe," Nico began uneasily, "it can also summon the damned out of Tartarus." He gripped the pot tight. "We can't let them try."

"We still don't know who  _them_ is," Thalia pointed out. Her voice was exasperated, tired.

"The half-blood working for Kronos," Percy said. "Probably Ethan Nakamura. And he's starting to recruit some of Hades's minions to his side- like the Keres. The  _daimones_ think that if Kronos wins the way, they'll get more chaos and evil out of the deal."

Nico nodded. "They're probably right. My father tries to keep a balance. He reins int he more violent spirits. If Kronos appoints one of his brothers to be the lord of the Underworld-"

"Like this Iapetus dude."

"-the the Underworld will get a lot worse," Nico finished. "The Keres would like that. So would Melinoe."

"You still haven't told us who Melinoe is."

Nico chewed his lip. "She's the goddess of ghosts- one of my father's servants. She oversees the restless dead that walk the earth. Every night she rises from the Underworld to terrify mortals."

"She has her own path into the upper world?"

Nodding, Nico said, "I doubt it would be  blocked. Normally, no one would even think about trespassing in her cave. But if this demigod theif is brave enough to make a deal with her-"

"He could get back to the world," Thalia said, an angry tone edging deep into her voice, electricity burning off her skin, "and bring the sword to Kronos."

"Who would use it to raise his brothers from Tartarus," Percy guessed. "And we'd be in big trouble."

He grunted and pushed off the ground, stumbling, his colours bluring, soul pulsing, feet scuffing the ground.

"Percy," Thalia began, "you're in no condition-"

"I have to be." His breath hitched as another petal fell of flower. "Give me the potted plant," he said, trying to sound heroic. "We have to find the cave of Melinoe." The quiver and ill tone to his took away from the heroic effect but Nico held the pot out, feeling Percy grip it tight and tug it away. Nico shifted, turning slightly to the left. Melinoe's soul swirled ahead of him.

"This way," he said. Thalia tucked her elbow under his hand so Percy could focus fully on just holding the flower and they set off.

* * *

 

 Water roared and Nico stopped, listening to it crash against the rocks. Thalia's breath hitched and Percy made a noise of confusion. The water smelled deeply like chlorine. Somewhere in the rushing water, a woman was yelling. Nico took a tentative step back.

"The River Lethe." He swore in Ancient Greek. "We'll never make it across."

"There's got to be a way across," Percy insisted as Thalia moved her arm out of Nico's grip, her colours dropping alongside the bank.

"Careful!" Nico gripped his cane in anxiety, something odd stirring in his chest. "This is the River of Forgetfulness. If one drop of that water gets on you, you'll start to forget who you are."

Thalia immediately stood up and moved back. "I know this place. Luke told me about it once. Souls come here if they choose to be reborn, so they totally forget their former lives."

Nico nodded, swallowing. "Swim in that water and your mind will be wiped clean. You'll be like a newborn baby."

 _The water raged against his dangling hair and he let his eyes flutter shut as his head was dunked below, Bianca's muffled voice_ _calling out to him, lost and confused-_

Nico shook his head and listened as Thalia considered a plan. "I could shoot an arrow across, maybe anchor a line to one of those rocks."

"You want to trust your weight to a line that isn't tied off?" Nico asked.

She sighed. "You're right. Works in movies, but... no. Could you summon some dead people to help us?"

He bit his lip. "I could but they would only appear on my side of the river. Running water acts as a barrier against the dead. They can't cross it."

"What kind of stupid rule is that?" Percy's voice hissed.

"Hey, I didn't make it up." His soul pulsed black  again and Nico frowned. "You sound terrible, Percy. You should sit down."

"I can't," he protested weakly. "You need me for this."

"For what?" Thalia shifted. "You can barely stand."

"It's water, isn't it?" There was a pause as he took in a deep breath. "I'll have to control it. Maybe I can redirect the flow long enough to get us across."

"In your condition?" Nico shook his head. "No way. I'd feel safer with the arrow idea."

Percy ignored them, staggering forward. "Stand back," he said, inhaling deeply afterwards, like it was taking too much energy out of him just to talk.

Nico winced, grabbing Thalia's wrist as she started forward, probably to stop Percy from being the damn hero. Nico couldn't really tell what was happening, it was too dark to see Percy's colours when he was that far, but he heard him yell out, groaning  and then the crashing of water ceased, only a tumultuous roaring.

"Did he-" Nico began just as Percy shouted, "Go! I can't hold this for long!"

Thalia swore and heaved Nico over her shoulder as she scrambled into the riverbed. Mud squelched over her boots, the stench of forgotten memories and chlorine permeating all around them like a poison. On the other side of the river, Percy was groaning in strain and Thalia finally threw Nico onto the solid ground. He scrambled for her hands, helping heave her up.

"Come on, Percy!" she shouted. "Walk!"

There was a beat as he probably began to try before he called out. "I can't make it!"

"Yes, you can!" Thalia said. "We need you!"

Nico blinked rapidly, honing in on Percy's soul, feeling it move slowly across. The water above him seemed to roar even louder, outraged. Nico shook as he stood to his feet. He was tempted to try and see if he could pull Percy across in one smooth motion, a quick yank on his soul like Minos had taught him when summon spirits, but he was afraid of water touching Percy before he could reach the bank. Or worse, ripping his soul right out of his chest and killing him.

Then Percy's soul blackened violently and Thalia screamed, " _NO!"_

The water hit the mud once more and Nico shouted as he grabbed Thalia from heaving herself over. Electricity burned off her skin and she panted heavily, shaking. Or maybe Nico was the one shaking.

He swallowed, stumbling back, tugging Thalia with him. "We have- we have to-

" _Haaaaaa,"_ Percy gasped in front of them, his colours shooting out of the river onto the bank. Thalia jumped backwards and Percy passed out again.

* * *

 "We can't risk any more nectar," Thalia said, pulling Nico's hand away from where he was trying to drown Percy in the godly drink. "He'll burst into flames."

Percy moaned and Nico gripped his shoulder. "Percy. Can you hear me?"

"Flames," he muttered, head lolling. "Got it."

He groaned and sat up slowly, leaning into Thalia's helpful touch. After a few more minutes of rest, he pushed upwards.

"We're close," Nico said. "Can you walk?"

Percy inhaled sharply. "Ready." He didn't sound ready.

"I don't like this," Thalia murmured. Her nails scraped against the pot as she passed it onto Percy.

"A creepy cave. The goddess of ghosts." Percy took a step forward. "What's not to like?"

A hissing sound echoed down the pathway as thought answering his question, white fog billowing out from the cave. Nico rubbed his eyes. Fog made everything worse. And then the fog shifted and shaped itself upwards.

"Now you come back," a woman growled. "Well, it's too late!"

Nico stiffened as Percy whispered questioningly, "Melione?"

Thalia's whole body slackened. "Mother?" Her voice shook and she sounded so young, so sad.

Shattering glass erupted at their feet, dissolving into the fog. "That's right, girl, Doomed to walk the earth and it's your fault."  _Lie_ , something hissed in Nico's head. "Where were when I died? Why did you run away when I needed you?"  _Lie_.

"I-I-"

"Thalia," Percy said, sounding sure and steady. "It's just a shade. It can't hurt you."

"I'm more than that," the woman growled. "And Thalia knows it."

"But- you abandoned  _me_ ," Thalia protested.

"You wretched girl!" the spirit snarled. "Ungrateful runaway!"

Nico drew his sword and stepped forward, shouting, "Stop!" The fog shifted, something velvety brushing against his chin, a familiar scent ruminating the air. He stopped, stiffening. "No..."

"My son," his mother whispered sadly. "I died when you were so young. I hate the world in grief, wondering about you and your sister."

He shook, body trembling as the spirits caressed his face warmly. "Mama?"

"Not, it's my mother," Thalia insisted, sounding faint.

Everything around began to fade away in white nothingness, soft and familiar. His mother's hand wrapped around his face, whispering, and he wanted very much to step into her embrace and let her take him away. No, he didn't like being a demigod anymore. Yes, he wanted to die. Yes, she should take him away from this world, bring him back to his sister. Bring them to stay with her. They could stay together forever. They could-

The whiteness vanished and Melinoe's soul shifted in front of him, angry. She smelled richly of death and dirt.

"What is _that?_ " Thalia said, drawing her bow. "Where-"

"It was trick," Nico said. He tried to keep the quiver out of his voice and took a step back. "She fooled us."

"You are too late, demigods," Melinoe hissed. "The deal has been struck."

"What deal?" Percy demanded.

Melinoe laughed, a low hissing. "So many ghosts, my young demigod," she all but crooned. "They long to be unleashed. When Kronos rules the world, I shall be free to walk among mortals both night and day, sowing terror as they deserve."

"Where's the sword of Hades?" Percy said. "Where's Ethan?"

"Close," Melinoe said, her fog billowing around her like a wave. "I will not stop you. I will not need to. Soon, Percy Jackson, you will have many ghosts. And you will remember me."

Thalia burned. "If you open a path to the world, do you really think Kronos will reward you? He'll cast you into Tartarus along with the rest of Hades's servants."

Melinoe snarled. "Your mother was right, Thalia. You are an angry girl. Good at running away. Not much else."

The arrow whistled through the air but Melinoe vanished into the fog, her hissing laughter echoing. The arrow thunked against a rock and shattered. "Stupid ghost," Thalia muttered. Her voice broke and she twisted, soul curling into itself.

Nico shifted, trying to wake up fully, still half caught in Melinoe's illusion. "The thief," he managed. "Probably in the cave. We have to stop him before-"

"Too late," Percy interupted and Nico went still.

Down the mountain a man's laughter echoed out, booming."You're right about that!" At the mouth of the cave, two souls slipped out, one small but angry and another pulsing with a power that made Nico's knees quake. Something silver flashed into view, the Titan's voice cruel as he said, "And now I will destroy you."

"Master!" a boy, Ethan probably, interrupted. "We have the sword. We should-"

"Yes, yes," Iapetus said dismissively. "You've done well, Nawaka."

"It's Nakamura, master."

"Whatever. I'm sure my brother Kronos will reward you. But now we have killing to attend to."

Percy and Thalia both stepped defensively in front of Nico even though neither of the two in front of them advanced, Ethan whimpering, "My lord. You're not at full power. We should ascend and summon your bother from the upper world. Our orders were to flee."

The Titan's soul pulsed once with so much  _rage_ and so much  _anger_ , Nico gasped and stumbled back, reaching and grabbing at Thalia's shirt. He needed to pull out but without being able to focus on the souls, he'd never be able to fight. It was too dark for him to see anything. He needed, he needed-

Lorrie formed beside him, pulsing bright. "Focus," she whispered and Thalia's worried questioning ceased as the battle began.

* * *

Percy dodged the spear hurled straight for him with a strangled yelp and Nico slung himself out of the way as Thalia retreated for better positioning to shoot at him.

"He's drawing his sword!" Lorrie shouted and Nico yelled, "I don't think so!", yanking the dead from out of the earth. Skeletons engaged the boy, pushing him back.

"The sword!" Lorrie whispered urgently but the Titan was advancing on Thalia and Nico charged, listening for the hum of her pulsing electricity.

A golden swipe flashed and the Titan screeched, whirling, and Percy's blur vanished towards the river.

"YOU DIE FIRST!" Iapetus shouted but Thalia slammed an arc of electricity into him and Nico plunged his sword into Iapetus's side. The Titan knocked him away easily and he staggered, Lorrie appearing at his side, a snarl of vengeance easing out of her mouth. "I will kill you all! Then I will cast your souls into the eternal darkness of Tartarus!"

Percy let out a laugh. "You're- you're even uglier than your son," he taunted, the edge slightly ruined by his pained gasping. "I can see where Atlas gets his stupidity from."

 _Focus_ , Nico thought, an idea slipping into his head. He could see the glinting of the spear as it rose into the air, even if he had trouble making out the form of the Titan. He anchored onto the Titan's soul and, as the spear shot downwards, he shoved.

The spear missed Percy's soul by a good ten feet, splashing into the river and snapping, about ready to drag the Titan in since his grip was firm and solid on the shaft. Not that it mattered since Percy reared up, his soul snarling an angry shade of bright red, and pulled the Titan into the Lethe himself. For a moment, Nico sat there in horror and then finally scrambled to his feet, Thalia shooting towards the river edge alongside him. Lorrie, who should've been gone by now, the fight over, gripped both of them before they could stumble into the river.

"He's insane," she said.

"Entirely," Thalia agreed. Worry pitched in her voice and Nico trembled, nervous.

And then Percy shot out again, groaning as he heaved Iapetus out with him. The Titan's eyes were bright silver and wide, sparkling like glitter. His soul was tepid and soft. Clean.

Nico blinked.  _Huh_.

"My- my lord," Ethan called from ebhind them.

The Titan sat up, his form shifting around. He didn't seem to have any ill will towards them, lost, confused. "Hello," he said, brightly. "Who am I?"

"You're my friend," Percy blurted. "You're... Bob."

"I am your friend Bob!"

Nico gaped as Thalia sparked and an arrow thunked onto the ground somewhere behind him. Ethan's soul sparked nervously.

"Not today, kid," Thalia warned. "One more step and I'll pin your feet to the rocks."

Ethan ran, his footsteps echoing faintly as he hurtled through the cave. Thalia's elbow brushed against the side of Nico's head again as she pulled the bowstring back again but Percy said, "No. Let him go."

Pulling himself out of his shock, Nico turned, tap-tapping his way over to the sword amidst the skeletons. His cane hit metal, twanging, and he bent, running his fingers over the coolness of the blade until he grabbed the edge where the hilt should've been and the key was embedded. "We did it. We actually did it."

"We did?" Iapetus chirped. "Did I help?"

Percy let out a soft laugh. "Yeah, Bob. You did great."

* * *

Lorrie vanished away, sending the Furies to bring them back to Hades's palace. Percy's shoulder had been healed with a single touch from Iapetus's finger. The Titan then bopped Thalia's shoulder and Nico's but nothing came. Everything was still a dim, blurry mess. He shrugged, feeling the other two's eyes watching him intently, and gripped his cane a little tighter.

The three of them were dropped in front of Hades, Iapetus a little off to the side. Nico gave a quick explanation about their little adventure, keeping it straightforward and focused, how his father preferred it. Before he set the blade at Hades's feet, Percy made the god swear on the Styx not to use it against the gods and he did. Through clenched teeth, soul rolling more in hatred at being thought of in such a way rather than in any sort of anger.

Nico cleared his throat and Lorrie eased him across. He knelt and laid the sword at the foot of his father's throne, bowing, waiting.

"He's looking at Persephone," Lorrie whispered.

"You defied my direct orders," Hades said.

Persephone said nothing but Lorrie whispered, amused, that she had a look of "your-orders-do-not-define-me" on her face. Hades heaved an irritated sigh and Lorrie murmured, "Looking at you."

"You will speak of this to no one, Nico," his father said and Nico nodded.

"Yes, lord."

"And if your friends do not hold their tongues, I will cut them out."

"You're welcome," Percy said, annoyed.

Hades ignored him, snapping his fingers. The rustling of feathers fluttered overhead, the Furies swooping down and settling next to him. Lorrie eased Nico back to Percy and Thalia. Percy's hands were warm as they reached out to grab at him, yanking him close like he was afraid something might try to kill him. Thalia stepped a little closer and Lorrie vanished to Persephone's side.

"Return the blade to the forges," Hades instructed the Furies. "Stay with the smiths until it is finished and then return it to me."

The Furies grabbed the blade, their talons clanking against it, and swirled into the air.

"You are wise, my lord," Persephone said.

"If I were wise," he growled, "I would lock you in our chambers."  _For the hanky-panky,_ Lorrie's voice whispered behind him, her presence still stark beside Persephone, and Nico resisted the urge to snort, even as Percy and Thalia tensed. "If you ever disobey me again-"

Hades let the threat hang in the air before he snapped his fingers and vanished into darkness. Lorrie snorted audibly. "He says that like you don't disobey him all the time," she muttered.

"Silence, Lorrie," Persephone ordered gently. Red bloomed in front of Nico's feet. "Crush these and they will return you to the world of the living. You have my lord's thanks."

"I could tell," Thalia muttered dryly.

"Making the sword was your idea," Percy said, a tone of understanding in his voice. "That's why Hades wasn't there when you gave us the mission. Hades didn't know the sword was missing. He didn't even know it existed."

"Perhaps," Persephone said airily.

Nico shook his head. "So Percy's right. You wanted Hades to make a sword. He told you no. He knew it was too dangerous. The other gods would never trust him. It would undo the balance of power."

"Then it got stolen," Thalia said. " _You_ shut down the Underworld, not Hades. You couldn't tell him what had happened. And you needed us to get the sword back before Hades found out. You  _used_ us."

Persephone cleared her throat. "The improtant thing is that Hades has now accepted the sword. He will have it finished and my husband will become as powerful as Zeus or Poseidon. Our realm will be protected against Kronos..." Her tone darkened. "Or any others who try to threaten us."

Percy's soul coursed angrily and he took a step forward but Nico slapped a hand against his chest. "Don't," he warned, letting his cane slip into a sword.

Percy tensed, his soul backing up even if his body wasn't. Thalia sparked, her voice at a warning. "Nico..."

"You would be wise to heed my step-son's words, Percy Jackson and Thalia Grace," Persephone said, authority heavy in her voice. "You two may be the favors of the Heavens but here you are no more than any other mortal. Do not dare attempt to disrespect me again in my home again or you might find yourselves unable to leave."

She vanished, leaving behind the shower of daises, their scent permeating the air. Nico's sword morphed back into a cane and he dropped his hand from Percy's chest, heaving down and scooping up the red in front of him, a flower by the feel of it. Thalia sparked again.

"I guess it's a good thing I don't plan on coming back," Thalia muttered.

"Here here," Percy agreed.

* * *

Nico took them to the balcony of his room. It overlooked the Asphodel, which didn't matter even if Nico had proper sight. The image would no doubt be as boring as Lorrie described it. Iapetus, or Bob, sat inside playing with bones. Percy and Thalia watched him while Nico leaned against the railing, feeling a breeze brush against the back of his head.

"I'll- I'll  _watch_ him," he said, grinning lightly. "He's harmless now. Maybe... I don't know. Maybe we can retrain him to do something good."

"Are you sure you want to stay here? You could- you could stay with me?" he offered. "Or- or at camp," he added quickly.

Nico shook his head. "I have to. I have to get close to my dad. He needs a better adviser. Persephone's good but she can be a bit..." He trailed off, thinking pointedly of the time she'd decided a man who'd killed twenty dogs in a drunken rage would have his skin filleted off for ten thousand years as punishment for his crime.

She'd sounded so  _happy_ about her decision. It was slightly terrifying.

"Well, if you need anything-"

"I'll call," he promised, blinking out of his thoughts. He reached out in Thalia's direction, shook her hand and then Percy's, heaving off the railing and moving back inside. Right before he hit the doorway, he paused. "Percy, you haven't forgotten my offer?"

"I'm still thinking about it,"

"Well, whenever you're ready," Nico said, nodding. He stepped back inside, a skeletal guard drawing the door shut, and settled at Bob's side, already calculating his next move.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The whole "Thanatos hates Sisy and enjoys watching him suffer" is a headcanon of mine, based off the fact that if some guy chained and gagged me for a long time, I'd probably wanna watch him suffer for all eternity too.
> 
> Also fun fact: Melinoe was, if Wikipedia is to be believed, the daughter of Persephone and Zeus (who banged his daughter while disguised as her husband). And Hades (or Zeus) was so pissed at her conception (or birth), he ripped off her flesh!
> 
> Ahahaha Greek myths are _wild._
> 
> And also I headcanon that in the same way Percy smells like the ocean, Thalia kind of smells like electricity and occasionally, depending on her mood, small bolts of electricity kind of course through her body like lightning. Same thing with Jason. Why I kept mentioning it. :P


	3. The Last Olympian

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Like the last chapter, I edited Persephone and Hades' personalities a little bit again to fit my personal headcanons so if they read different, it's because they are.**
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> AND I'm REALLY sorry that this took so long but I was busy w/ graduating and then not wanting to write bc of depression and stuff!
> 
> BUT I UPDATED NOW SO LIKE YAY???
> 
> Also I began working and I start my second year of college in two weeks so updates are definitely going to be sporadic! Sorry!
> 
> BUT I SWEAR I WILL GET THIS DONE!
> 
> (Also I cried a lot partly bc of depression and partly bc of how many scenes Nico has in this without even being the main character. BOO is going to fucking _kill_ me)

Nico jerked when he heard the booming barks of Mrs. O’Leary. He kept calm though, reaching out for her as she bounded over and sniffed at his legs. Somewhere ahead of him, the smell of the ocean lingered closer and closer.

Leneus, on the other hand, yelled and his hooves beat the ground hard as he scattered further off to the side. “Will someone- _what_ is this underworld creature doing in my forest!” His colours blurred as he moved frantically, anxious hooves trotting loud against the grass. “You there, Percy Jackson! Is this your beast?”

“Sorry, Leneus,” Percy said, trying to stifle laughter. He paused for a second. “That’s your name, right?”

The satyr huffed loud, probably rolling his eyes if Nico’s ten seconds of exposure to him was anything to go off of. He, very much, seemed like the type to roll his eyes at people. “Well, of course I’m Leneus. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten a member of the Council so quickly. Now call off your beast!”

Mrs. O’Leary barked excitedly and turned to face the satyr, still leaning into Nico’s scratching palm.

“Make it go away!” Leneus snapped. “Juniper, I will not help you under these circumstances!”

Juniper didn’t really seem to care, stifling another sob as her colours shifted in Percy’s direction. “Percy,” she sniffed. “I was just asking about Grover. I know something’s happened. He wouldn’t stay gone this long if he wasn’t in trouble. I was hoping that Leneus-”

“I told you!” Leneus snapped. “You are better off without that traitor!”

Juniper stamped her foot, her soul pulsing red with anger before recoiling back into its greenish-blue sadness. “He is not a traitor! He’s the bravest satyr _ever_ and I want to know where he is!”

Mrs. O’Leary barked. “I… I won’t answer questions with this hellhound sniffing my tail!” Leneus cried.

Nico snorted and rolled his eyes, trying best to hold back his grin. “I’ll walk the dog.”

He inclined his head off to the side and whistled, walking off towards the end of the grove. Leaves cracked under his feet. As he arced it across, his cane smacked into a tree and he paused, reaching out to slide his hand against it before leaning into it and turning over, grinning as Mrs. O’Leary reared up and put her paws onto his shoulders.

She nuzzled the side of his face warmly, heated breath fogging his face, then dropped and went sniffing around the base of the trees, tail banging happily against the ground, a steady _fwump_ , _fwump_. Her soul shook energetically. Nico blinked and gazed ahead, honing on the souls of the three ahead of him, waiting.

Eventually Leneus’s soul scampered off, his hoof beats sounding as he shouted, “Grover will never be accepted! He will die an outcast!”

Juniper let out another angry sob as Nico snapped his fingers and began walking over, Mrs. O’Leary bounding after him.

“I’m sorry, Percy. I didn’t mean to you involved.” She sniffled. “Leneus is still a lord of the Wild. You don’t want to make an enemy of him.”

Percy’s voice was soft, soothing. “No problem. I’ve got worse enemies than overweight satyrs.”

“Good job, Percy.” Nico inhaled and fought back another grin. “Judging from the scent of goat pellets, I’d say you shook him up pretty well.”

Percy clapped Nico’ shoulder. “Welcome back. Did you come by just to-” His voice stumbled as it always did. “-to see Juniper?”

Nico snorted, rubbing the back of his neck and fighting down his flush. “Um, no. That was an accident. I kind of… dropped into the middle of their conversation.”

“He scared us to death!” Juniper cried. “Right out of the shadow. But, Nico-” And he could feel her eyes, probably large and wet and _desperate_ , watching him hard. “-you _are_ the son of Hades and all. Are you sure you haven’t heard anything about Grover?”

Nico shifted his weight, tentative. “Juniper, like I tried to tell you… even if Grover died, he would reincarnate into something else in nature. His soul would be reborn automatically. I wouldn’t be able to sense if it was gone because, _technically_ , it would never disappear.”

She grabbed his cane arm, gripping it tight. “But if you _do_ hear anything?” she pleaded. “Anything at all?”

Nico flushed harder, trying his best to ignore thoughts of how this might look. “Uh, you bet. Definitely keeping my ears open.”

“We’ll find him, Juniper,” Percy promised as she pulled away from Nico. “Grover’s alive, I’m sure. There must be a simple reason why he hasn’t contacted us.”

Juniper sniffled again. “I hate not being able to leave the forest. He could be anywhere and I’m stuck here, waiting. Oh if that silly goat has gotten himself hurt-”

Mrs. O’Leary barked loud, paws hitting the ground with thunderous effect and Juniper yelped. “Oh, no you don’t! I know about dogs and trees. I’m gone!”

Her soul blinked out, the air permeating with the sweet smell of junipers. Mrs. O’Leary let out a low whine but bounded off to find another target, leaving Percy and Nico alone. Nico bit his lip, tapping the ground with his cane. The earth let out a _poof_ , his feet showered with a light sprinkling of dirt as, what he hoped was, a skeletal mouse knit its bones together and scampered off. “I was sorry to hear about Beckendorf.”

“How did you-”

“I talked to his ghost.”

“Oh… right.” Percy swallowed audibly and his splotch shifted. “Did he say anything?”

Nico relaxed, remembering Beckendorf’s words. “He doesn’t blame you. He figured you’d be beating yourself up and he said you shouldn’t.”

“Is he going to try for rebirth?”

Nico shook his head. “He’s staying in Elysium. Said he’s waiting for someone. Not sure what he meant but-” He shrugged. “-he seems okay with death.”

Percy licked his lips, a wet smacking sound that made Nico cringe slightly. “I had a vision you were on Mount Tam,” he said after a while. “Was that-”

“Real,” Nico confirmed. “I didn’t mean to be spying on the Titans but I was in the neighborhood.”

Percy shifted agitatedly, his voice deep, nervous and protective in a way that made Nico’s skin shiver. “Doing what?”

Nico tugged on his belt. “Following a lead on…” He sighed deep. “You know, my family.”

There was beat of silence before Percy quickly said, “Yeah, right. So how did it go? Any luck?”

Nico frowned, annoyed. His father’s demands rolled back into his head and he felt sick. “No,” he murmured. “But I may have a new lead soon.”

“What’s the lead?”

He chewed on his lip, scanting his head to the side. “That’s not important right now. You know why I’m here.”

Percy’s voice tensed. “Nico, I don’t know. It seems pretty extreme.”

Swatting at Percy with his cane, Nico snapped, “You’ve got Typhon coming in, what… a _week_? Most of the other Titans are unleashed now and on Kronos’s side. Maybe it’s time to think extreme.” Nico crossed his arms. “This camp is no mat for the Titan army. You know that. This comes down to _you_ and Luke. And there’s only one way you can beat Luke.

“We can give you the same power,” Nico urged. “You heard the Great Prophecy. Unless you want to have your soul reaped by a cursed blade-”

“You can’t prevent a prophecy,” Percy said, voice tinged with a nervous laugh.

“But you can _fight it_ ,” Nico snarled, hungry and desperate. He clenched his fists. “You can become invincible.”

“Maybe we should wait. Try to fight without-”

“No!” Nico shouted, swatting Percy with his cane again and breathing hard. “It has to be now!”

Percy reached out and touched his arm tentatively. Nico flinched away. “Um, you sure you’re okay?”

Nico inhaled deep. “Percy, all I mean… when the fighting starts, we won’t be able to make the journey. This is our last chance. I’m sorry if I’m being too pushy, but two years ago my sister gave her life to protect you.” Nico paused to let that sink it. Lorrie taught him emotional manipulation well. “I _want_ you to honor that. Do whatever it takes to stay alive and defeat Kronos.”

Percy took a breath, voice hitched a little angry. “Alright,” he said. “What do we do first?”

Nico grinned, wide and dark. “First we’ll need to retrace Luke’s steps. We need to know more about his past, his childhood.”

“Why do we need to know about that?”

“I’ll explain when we get there,” Nico said, dismissively. “I’ve already tracked down his mother. She lives in Connecticut.”

“Luke ran away when he was really young,” Percy said. “I didn’t think his mom was alive.”

“Oh… she’s alive,” Nico said, thinking of May Castellan and her slightly psychotic presence that made his body quake.

“Okay…” Percy said slowly. “So how do we get to Connecticut? I can call Blackjack-”

“No.” Nico scowled. Pegasi sucked butt. “Pegasi don’t like me and the feeling is mutual. But there’s no need for flying.” He whistled low, hearing Mrs. O’Leary bound out from wherever she has ventured off to. “Your fried here can help.” He patted her head softly. “You haven’t tried shadow travel yet?”

“Shadow travel?”

Nico grinned, trailing his hand until he caught her ear. He ducked his head and whispered, “Into the shadows.” She tilted her head, alert, whole body suddenly still and focused. Nico smirked and gestured to her. “Hop on board.”

Percy gave a grunt as he threw himself on top of her, her collar jingling as he took a hold of it.

“This will make her very tired,” Nico warned, “so you can’t do it often. And it works best at night. But all shadows are part of the same substance. There is only one darkness, and creatures of the Underworld can use it as a road or a door.”

“I don’t understand,” Percy said.

“No,” Nico amended. “It took me a long time to learn. But Mrs. O’Leary knows. Tell her where to go. Tell her Westport, the home of May Castellan.”

Her collar jingled again. “You’re not coming?”

“Don’t worry.” Nico scratched just below his chin. “I’ll meet you there.”

 

* * *

 

Nico stumbled out of the shadows, wearily rubbing at his eyes. Percy caught him as he nearly tripped over his own feet.

“I’m okay,” he hummed.

“How did you do that?” Percy said, amazed, and it sent a tingle through his skin.

“Practice,” he yawned, pushing away. “A few times running into walls. A few accidental trips to China.”

Something rumbled loud and Nico tensed but Percy laughed. “Mrs. O’Leary’s taking a dog nap. Are you going to take a nap too?”

Nico shook his head, thinking of the way the shadows leeched the energy out of his skin. “The first time I shadow traveled, I passed out for a week. Now it just makes me a little drowsy, but I can’t do it more than once or twice a night. Mrs. O’Leary won’t be going anywhere for a while.”

“So we’ve got some quality time in Connecticut.” Percy hummed thoughtfully. “What now?”

Nico shifted until the green blur of trees turned stark-white. “We ring the doorbell.”

Percy grabbed his elbow, something he seemed to do without thinking every time Nico showed up and they went somewhere, even if it was a few feet. “This way,” he said, tugging Nico to the left and upwards.

Nico tried not to lean into the warm grip as Percy guided him to the front door. Nico took a breath, about ready to say something when it swung open. He scattered back, alarmed as a feminine voice shouted, “Luke!”

Frail and cold arms slung around his back, yanking him into a warm chest. “Oh, my dear boy!” She pulled away and wrapped her pinkish frame around Percy. “Luke!”When she pulled away, she tugged demandingly on Percy’s arm. “Come in!” she insisted, as she yanked them both inside. “I have your lunch ready!”

Protectively Percy shifted his stance in front of Nico, nearly blocking him from her possible view but she ignored that and dragged them away from the front door.

“This way, my dear! Oh, I told them you come back. I knew it.”

She shoved Nico into a chair, his cane smacking the ground. The scent of burned cookies curled in the air, so bitter he could taste it. Gas stank in the air, the oven, no doubt, on and burning yet another batch of cookies. The air was stale with the musty scent of mold. He fisted his hands, nervously. He could feel her eyes boring into them like a laser.

He coughed. “Um, Ms. Castellan?”

“Mm?”

He shifted a little nervously. “We need to ask you about your son.”

“Oh yes!” she shrieked, slapping something metallic onto the table. The metal sang in the air. “They told me he would never come back. But I knew better.” She reached over and patted Percy’s cheek, the sound wet and uncomfortable.

“When did you last see him?”

Her voice went faint and wistful. “He was so young when he left. Third grade. That’s too young to run away! He said he’d be back for lunch. And I waited. He likes peanut butter sandwiches and cookies and Kool-Aid. He’ll be back for lunch very soon…” She faded out then quickly sparked right back up. “Why, Luke, there you are! You look so handsome. You have your father’s eyes.”

Her dress swished around, slapping the side of the table. “Now there’s a good man. Yes, indeed. He comes to visit me, you know.”

The sound of the clock in the other room ticked loudly in the following silence. Percy took a deep breath, voice low as he ducked a little closer to Nico. “I think we should leave,” he whispered.

“Just a little bit more,” Nico murmured. “How does she look?”

“Insane. Her dress is scorched and full of ash and her hair is standing like she’s been electrocuted,” Percy replied, voice heavily hushed. “Nico, her- her eyes… her eyes are _white_ , like a- a high voltage light. It’s scary.”

Nico frowned, clearing his throat. “Ma’am. What, uh… what happened to your eyes?”

“Why, Luke, you know the story. It was right before you were born, wasn’t it? I’d always been special, able to see through the… what-ever-they-call-it.”

“The Mist?” Percy piped up.

“Yes, dear. And they offered me an important job. That’s how special I was!”

Nico frowned just as Percy asked, “What sort of job? What happened?”

“Dear me, it didn’t work out, didn’t it? Your father warned me not try,” she said. “He said it was too dangerous. But I had to. It was my destiny. And now… I still can’t get the images out of my head. They make everything seem so fuzzy.” She went quiet for a moment and then, suddenly cheerfully, asked, “Would you like some cookies?”

Before Nico could decline or say _anything_ , the over door slammed open, banging against the floor. The sharp and bitter scent of chocolate and burned cookies floored the room and he shivered involuntarily as they pattered against the table loud. Crumb bits chipped off and landed on his hands.

“Luke was so kind,” she went on, voice at a murmur. “He left to protect me, you know. He said if he went away, the monsters wouldn’t threaten me. But I told him the monsters are no threat. They sit outside on the sidewalk all day and they never come in.” She gave a trill of a laugh. “Do they, Mrs. Medusa? No, no threat at all.” She took a deep breath, clasping her hands loud together. “I’m so glad you came home. I knew you weren’t ashamed of me!”

Nico had the deepest gut feeling that Luke still was. And that the real reason Luke left wasn’t for her protection but for his. No child could thrive under the insanity of a crazy parent and if Luke knew where to go to be free of her, it made sense why he ran away.

“Ms. Castellan,” Percy began.

“Mom,” she corrected him immediately.

“Um, yeah! Have you seen Luke since he left home?”

“Well, of course,” she chirped like the suggestion was a silly idea.

Nico leaned forward expectantly. “When?” he asked eagerly. “When did Luke visit you last?”

“Well, it was…” She left out a deep sigh. “Oh goodness… The last time, he looked so different. A scar. A terrible scar, and his voice so full of _pain_ …”

“His eyes,” Percy said suddenly. “Were they gold?”

“Gold? No. How silly. Luke has blue eyes. _Beautiful_ blue eyes!”

Good. That meant he’d definitely been here. Before allowing Kronos to take over. “Ms. Castellan?” Nico reached out, grabbing her arm. It was leathery and soft. “This is very important. Did he ask you for anything?”

“My- my blessing. Isn’t that sweet?” She sounded uncertain, despite the bright tone to her voice. “He was going to a river and he said he need my blessing. I gave it to him. Of course I did.”

Nico grinned, glancing over to where he was sure Percy was, a sharp nod. He turned back to her, letting go of her arm. “Thank you, ma’am. That’s all the information we-”

She gasped and her body slipped right out his view. Something loud and metallic clattered to the floor. Nico jumped up alongside Percy.

“Ms. Castellan?” Percy said tentatively just before she screamed.

The air on Nico’s arms stood up and his whole body felt like it was dying. Percy shouted and scattered away, the kitchen table toppling over.

“ _My child_ ,” she hissed in a voice deeper and darker than before. _“Must protect him! HERMES, help! Not my child! Not his fate-no!_ ” She grabbed Nico by the shoulders began to shake him rapidly, his cane falling from his hands and clattering to the ground. _“Not his fate!”_

Nico shrieked and shoved her away, reaching out. The panic was clouding his mind. Where was Percy? “Percy! We need to-”

Percy grabbed him and heaved him backward just as everything went still and quiet, save for the ticking, ticking of the clock in the other room. Percy slung forward and caught her as she collapsed again. He dragged a chair over and dumped her in it.

“Ms. C?”

She muttered something under her breath, Nico feeling Percy edge up beside him, a protective hand flanked over his chest. “Goodness,” she whispered. “I… I dropped the cookies. How silly of me.”

“Are you okay?” Percy asked.

“Well, of course, dear. I’m fine. Why do you ask?”

“Percy, I need my cane,” Nico whispered urgently.

Percy patted his arm and shifted forward, his blur slipping out of view as he spoke. “Ms. C. you were telling us something,” he said. “Something about your son?”

“Was I?” she said, faint and dreamy. “Yes, his blue eyes. We were talking about his blue eyes. Such a handsome boy!”

“We have to go,” Nico said as Percy pressed his cane into his hands. Percy grabbed his wrist, slowly trying to tug him out of the room. “We’ll tell Luke… uh, we’ll tell him you said hello.”

“But you can’t leave!” she shouted. The chair scrapped loud and piercing across the floor. Percy pulled Nico a little faster now. “Hermes will be here soon,” she promised. “He’ll want to see his boy!”

“Maybe next time,” Percy said, slipping back into place in front of Nico, like he was afraid she’d grab him again. “Thank you for-” He stumbled back as her pink splotch grew closer. “Thanks for everything.”

She tried to stop them as Percy pulled Nico out of the house, quickly and hurriedly. Nico had no objections, letting Percy yank him along like a ragdoll and for the first time since Lorrie had certified him fine to travel on his own, he welcomed it.

Percy shoved Nico right out the front door, yelping as something snagged him, the force snapping Nico into his chest.

“Luke,” Ms. Castellan said, “at least be safe. Promise me you’ll be safe.”

“I will… Mom.”

She let him go, disappearing back into the house, the door slamming shut and Nico could hear her talking to herself. They stood there for only a second before Percy snatched Nico’s wrist again and ran off with him, their feet slamming against the sidewalk.

 

* * *

 

Fire crackled near Mrs. O’Leary once they stumbled back to the cliff. Percy shot an arm over Nico’s chest again, his sword schlinking out from pen form.

Hestia didn’t think much of it. “Hello,” she said.

Percy tensed but Nico ducked under his arm and bowed. “Hello again, Lady.”

 _Schilnk_ and _click_ , Percy was bowing gently beside him.

“Sit, Percy Jackson,” Hestia said calmly as they stepped over to her. “Would you like some dinner?”

Delicious scents erupted into the air and Nico hummed. Beside him, Percy’s stomach rumbled and Nico could see his blurry form snatch up a plate and some food. Hestia’s fingertips brushed over his arm. “I trust you’d prefer the same as last time?”

“Yes, my Lady. I would appreciate that,” he said easily.

She patted his arm and handed him a plate.

“For the gods,” Percy said as _screak_ sounded and blurry bits of brown and green fell into the roaring fire.

Hestia let out a little laugh.  “Thank you. As tender of the flame, I get a share of every sacrifice, you know.”

“I recognize you now,” Percy said. “The first time I came to camp, you were sitting by the fire, in the middle of commons area.”

“You did not stop to talk,” she recalled sadly. “Alas, most never do. Nico talked to me.” She patted his arm once more. “He was the first in many years. Everyone rushes about. No time for family.”

“You’re Hestia,” Percy realized. “Goddess of the Hearth.”

“Mm,” Hestia murmured.

“My Lady,” Nico started, “why aren’t you with the other Olympians, fighting Typhon?”

“I’m not much for fighting.” She sighed and the flames of the campfire sprouted a little higher and a little warmer. “Besides, someone has to keep the home fires burning while the other gods are away.”

“So you’re guarding Mount Olympus?”

“’Guard’ may be too strong a word,” she laughed. “But if you ever need a warm place to sit and a home-cooked meal, you are welcome to visit. Now eat.”

Nico inclined his head slightly and ate quickly. Beside him, Percy was scarfing down his food just as fast. It was delicious and warm. Nico thought back to the last time he’d met with Hestia, alone in the Canadian woods. He had missed his true destination which was actually far south in Los Angeles, trying to get the Underworld.

She had given shelter and food, kissed him warmly on the cheek in the morning and took him to the entrance to the Underworld herself.

She was, by far, his favourite goddess.

When they were finished eating, Percy said, “That was great. Thank you, Hestia.”

“Did you have a good visit with May Castellan.”

The two of them winced. “What’s wrong with her. Exactly?” Percy asked.

“She was born with a gift,” Hestia said. “She could see through the Mist.”

Percy shifted nervously. “Like my mother. But the glowing eyes thing-”

“Some bear the curse of sight better than others,” she said sadly and sharply. “For a while, May Castellan had many talents. She attracted the attention of Hermes himself. They had a beautiful baby boy. For a brief time, she was happy. And then she went too far.”

Nico thought back to what she said. _They offered me an important job… It didn’t work out._ He thought about her tight grip and the horrifying way she screamed. Whatever job she was offered, seemed like a horrible one. Evidently, it drove her insane.

No job was worth going crazy over.

“One minute she was all happy,” Percy said. “And then she was freaking out about her son’s fate, like she knew he’d turned into Kronos. What happened to… to divide her like that?”

Hestia’s voice went black. “That is a story I do not like to tell. But May Castellan saw too much. If you are to understand your enemy Luke, you must understand his family.”

Nico pressed a glass of juice to his lips as Percy sighed. “No wonder Luke ran away,” he said. “I mean, it wasn’t right to leave his mom like that, but still- he was just a kid. Hermes shouldn’t have abandoned them.”

A tree fell over, thumping the ground hard and pounding. Nico felt his bones quake and juice splattered on his pants. Hestia tapped his thigh.

“It’s easy to judge others,” she warned. “But will you follow Luke’s path? Seek the same powers?”

“We have no choice, my lady.” He set down his plate and glass. “It’s the only way Percy stands a chance.”

“Mmm. Ta.” The fire slammed a good thirty feet in the air. Percy jumped but Nico had her warning word, the “ta”, so he sat in patience. Heat swarmed them. Then the flames dropped and died down back to normal. “Not all powers are spectacular,” she said. “Sometimes the hardest power to master is the power of yielding. Do you believe me?”

“Uh huh,” Percy said faintly.

Hestia’s smile was heavy in her voice. “You are a good hero, Percy Jackson. Not too proud. I like that.” Her smiling voice turned the slightest bit sour, yanking out into a straight line of seriousness. “But you have _much_ to learn. When Dionysus was made a god, I gave up my throne for him. It was the only way to avoid a civil war among the gods.”

“It unbalanced the Council,” Percy said. “Suddenly there were seven guys and five girls.”

 _Feminist,_ Nico thought blankly. Oh, his mother would definitely approve.

His mother…

A knot lodged in his chest and he gripped his hands into tight fists, feeling his nails dig crescent shapes deep into his skin.

“It was the best solution, not a perfect one. Now I tend the fire. I fade slowly into the background. No one will ever epic poems about the deeds of Hestia. Most demigods don’t even stop to talk to me.” She squeezed Nico’s ankle and he smiled lowly. “But that is no matter. I keep the peace. I yield when necessary. Can you do this?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

She went quiet for a moment and the flames roared a little higher. “Perhaps not yet. But soon. Will you continue your quest?”

Percy’s voice fell flat and worried. “Is that why you’re here? To warn me against going?”

“I am here,” she said slowly, “because when all else fails, when all the other _mighty_ gods have gone off to war, I am all that’s left.” The fire flickered and died low. “Home. Hearth. I am the _last_ Olympian. You must remember me when you face your final decision.”

He went silent, no doubt stewing in her words. Finally, Percy cleared his throat. “I have to continue, my Lady. I have to stop Luke… I mean, Kronos.”

An ominous tone steamrolled into her voice. “Very well. I cannot be of much assistance, beyond what I have already told you. But since you sacrificed to me, I can return you to your own hearth. I will see you again, Percy, on Olympus.”

She patted Nico’s foot before the world faded out into darkness.

 

* * *

They landed on a couch. Mrs. O’Leary’s dark fur blocked the rest of the room from view but Nico remembered the loud scent of cinnamon and raspberries that wafted in the air.

“Who put this wall of fur in the doorway?” someone yelled, voice muffled.

“Percy?” Ms. Jackson called out. “Are you here? Are you alright?”

Envy thrummed light in Nico’s chest but he pushed it away as Percy shouted back, “I’m here!”

Mrs. O’Leary barked happily and her giant form swirled around, searching for Ms. Jackson’s voice. Ms. Jackson laughed and eased herself into the living room, throwing her arms around Percy and Nico and pulling them into a tight hug.

After a few minutes and several items of furniture probably destroyed, the four of them had made it into the kitchen, Mrs. O’Leary resting her head in the doorway. She snuffled some beef and downed it quickly. Percy explained their quick visit to Connecticut, pausing to murmur to Nico, “Half an inch in front of you,” when Mr. Blofis placed a cup of lemonade in front of him. Nico didn’t touch it. There was something uncomfortable about accepting their hospitality with the possibility of Percy’s death hanging in the balance.

Percy went on, talking about the oncoming battle that was sure to wreck New York. He took a deep breath before explaining Nico’s plan. Under the table, Ms. Jackson’s foot shook and she let out a shaky breath as Percy finished. Nico kept his eyes downcast, ashamed now to have even suggested the idea.

“Percy, it’s dangerous,” she said. “Even for you.”

“Mom, I know. I could die,” Percy stressed. “Nico explained that. But if we don’t try-”

“We’ll all die,” Nico interrupted. “Ms. Jackson, we don’t stand a chance against an invasion. And there _will be_ an invasion.”

“An invasion of New York?” Mr. Blofis said. “Is that even possible? How could we not see the… the monsters?”

“I don’t know,” Percy admitted. “I don’t see how Kronos could just march into Manhattan, but the Mist is strong. Typhon is trampling across the country right now and mortals think he’s a storm system.”

“Ms. Jackson,” Nico tried. “Percy needs your blessing. The process _has_ to start that way. I wasn’t sure until we met Luke’s mom but now I’m positive. This has only been done successfully _twice_ before. Both times, the mother had to give her blessing. She had to be willing to let her son take the risk.”

“You want me to bless this?” she said, outraged, confused. Hurt. A pang hit straight into Nico heart and he wanted to crumble and disappear into the ground. “It’s crazy. Percy, please-”

“Mom, I can’ do it without you.”

“And if you survive this… this _process_?” Her voice snapped.

“Then I go to war,” Percy said. The quake in his voice was barely evident. “Me against Kronos. And only one of us… will survive.”

“You’re my son,” she said. Thick and heavy misery held in her voice. “I can’t just…”

Nico curled in his toes into his shoes, digging his nails into his thighs. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered what his mother would’ve done if the situation was reversed and he was coming to her, asking for her blessing to do something risky and dangerous, death looming on the horizon for him.

But he wouldn’t ever know.

“Sally,” Mr. Blofis said. “I can’t claim to know what you and Percy have been going through all these years. But it sounds to me… it sounds like Percy is doing something noble. I wish I had that much courage.”

Percy stiffened beside Nico while Ms. Jackson let out a weary sigh, a sob trapped inside of it. “Percy, I give you my blessing.”

Anxiety ate up Nico’s skin now. There was no physical change to anything, no magical glow, but he knew. He nodded. “It’s time.”

“Percy,” Ms. Jackson said quickly. “One last thing. If you… if you survive this fight with Kronos, send me a sign.” Something clacked as she rummaged through her purse, pushing a small gray smudge into Percy’s hands.

“Mom,” Percy protested, “you know demigods and phones-”

“I know.” She sounded tired. “But just in case. If you’re not able to call… maybe a sign that I could see from anywhere in Manhattan. To let me know you’re okay.”

“Like Theseus,” Mr. Blofis suggested brightly. “He was supposed to raise white sails when he came home to Athens.”

“Except he forgot,” Nico muttered bitterly. “And his father jumped off the palace roof in despair.” The air suddenly grew tense and silent. Nico let out an awkward laugh and said quickly, “But other than that, it was a great idea.”

“What about a flag or a flare?” Ms. Jackson said. “From Olympus. The Empire State Building.”

“Something blue,” Percy agreed.

“Yes,” she whispered, with a shake in her voice. “I’ll watch for a blue signal. And I’ll try to avoid jumping off palace roofs.”

Nico waited while Percy let his mother yank him into another tight hug before they walked over to the doorway where Mrs. O’Leary was waiting.

“Sorry, girl,” Percy said, patting her face. “Shadow travel time again.” Mrs. O’Leary whimpered, exhausted. “Where now? Los Angeles?”

Nico shook his head, feeling uncomfortable with the two behind them just observing. “No need. There’s a closer entrance to the Underworld.”

They emerged from the pulling shadows in Central Park. Mrs. O’Leary dropped in front of a cluster of gray smudges, the boulders guarding Orpheus’s entrance. She began sniffing them, harsh snuffing sounds and Percy let out a little groan.

“It’s okay. She just smells the way home,” Nico said.

“Through the rocks?” Percy said incredulously.

“The Underworld has two major entrances,” Nico explained. “You know the one in L.A.”

“Charon’s ferry.”

Nico nodded. “Most souls go that way, but there’s a smaller path, harder to find. The Door of Orpheus.”

“The dude with the harp,” Percy recalled and Nico rolled his eyes.

“Dude with the lyre,” he corrected. “But yeah, him. He used his music to charm the earth and open a new path into the Underworld. He sang his way right into Hades’s palace and almost got away with his wife’s soul.”

 _Or he would’ve if he’d done what he was told and didn’t look back like an idiot,_ Nico thought.

“So this is the Door of Orpheus.” Percy didn’t sound all that impressed but it was just a pile of rocks. Nico wasn’t all that impressed with it either. “How does it open?”

“We need music,” Nico said. He scratched his chin. “How’s your singing?”

“Um, no,” Percy said quickly. “Can’t you just, like, tell it to open? You’re the son of Hades and all.”

Nico frowned. “It’s not so easy. We need music.”

“I have a better idea,” Perc said, turning around and yelling, “GROVER!”

 

* * *

 

They waited forever and it was boring. Mrs. O’Leary had long since fallen asleep, her snuffling snores nearly overtaking the hubbub of traffic. Crickets sang their songs and somewhere an owl was obnoxiously hooting. Nico ran his thumb over his watch. One in the morning.

“It’s no good,” Nico muttered, tired and kinda annoyed at having sat on the ground, doing nothing for the last four hours. Plus, he was pretty sure he heard one of the police officers on horses clopping down a nearby path.

He really did not want to wind up in a cell again.

Then Percy shouted and nearly fell into him.

Nico cringed. “What happened?”

“I got through,” he said, pushing up. “He’s… yeah. He’s on his way.”

A minute later, something smelling of peaches and damp fur fell out of the branches.

“Grover!” Percy shouted just as Mrs. O’Leary barked and Grover bleated. “You okay, man?”

“Oh, I’m fine,” Grover muttered as he stood. “I was at the other end of the park. The dryads had this great idea of passing me through the trees to get me here. They don’t understand _height_ very well.”

“Good to see you, G-man,” Percy said. “You remember Nico.”

Grover didn’t say anything before he threw himself at Percy so Nico just assumed Grover had nodded at him. Grover didn’t seem like the type of person to ignore someone. “Perrrcy!” he bleated. “I missed you! I miss camp! They don’t serve very good enchiladas in the wilderness.”

“I was worried,” Percy said. “Where’ve you _been_ the last two months?”

“The last two-” Happiness bleached out of his voice. “The last _two months_? What are you talking about?”

“We haven’t heard from you,” Percy said slowly. “Juniper’s worried. We sent Iris-messages but-”

“Hold on,” Grover interrupted. “What month is this?”

“August.”

Grover let out a disbelieving bleating laugh that stopped short when the others didn’t join him. “That’s impossible,” he said. “It’s June. I just lay down to take a nap and…” His voice trailed off, faint, before snapping high and desperate. “I remember now! He knocked me out. Percy, we have to stop him!”

“Whoa,” Percy soothed. “Slow down. Tell me what happened.”

Nico listened carefully, wincing as Grover delved into his story. Thanatos had introduced Nico to Morpheus back when Hades had instructed him to show Nico around the Underworld. Morpheus was stiff and unyielding even as Thanatos kept referring to him as his favourite nephew and telling Nico how decent a guy he was.

Thanatos had probably been the most displeased when he found out that Morpheus had defected to Kronos’s side, along with Hecate and countless others.

Nico exhaled hard as Grover finished his story. “Grover, you met Morpheus, the god of dreams. You’re lucky you ever woke up.”

“Two months,” Grover moaned. “He put me to sleep for two months!”

“Why didn’t the nymphs try to wake you?” Percy asked.

Grover sighed. “Most nymphs aren’t good with time. Two months for a tree- that’s nothing. They probably didn’t think anything was wrong.”

“We’ve got to figure out what Morpheus was doing in the park,” Percy said. “I don’t like this ‘main event’ thing he mentioned.”

“He’s working for Kronos,” Nico said, crossing his arms and remembering Thanatos’s horrifying hiss when his father said the same thing. “We know that already. A lot of the minor gods are,” he added, thinking of Hecate. “This just proves there’s going to be an invasion. Percy, we have to get on with our plan.”

“Wait,” Grover said. “What plan?”

Nico closed his eyes, the tiniest bit agitated, as Percy explained the plan. Had he not told _anyone_ about the plan?

But it was sweet, in a way. Of course, he wouldn’t want to tell them about the plan. He wouldn’t them to worry over him or try to talk him out of it. Thinking that, the littlest ball of tension forming melted away.

Grover whimpered nervously. “You’re not serious. Not the Underworld again,” he whined lightly.

“I’m not asking you to come, man,” Percy promised. “I know you just woke up. But we need some music to open the door. Can you do it?”

“I guess I could try. I know a few Nirvana tunes that can split rocks.” Grover’s voice fell scared. “But, Percy, are you sure you want to do this?”

“Please, man,” Percy said, evading the question with relative ease. “It would mean a lot. For old times’ sake?”

Grover whimpered again. “As I recall, in the old times we almost died a lot. But okay, here goes nothing.”

Nico jerked when the first note sounded, shrill and slightly painful to the ear. Ahead of him, rock grated together. The second and third set of notes blended a little lower into something much more comfortable and way easier to listen to, a lively tune.

The rocks cracked open, letting the sore stench of death and suffering ooze out.

Percy cleared his throat. “Thanks… I think.”

“Perrrrcy,” Grover bleated, “is Kronos really going to invade?”

“I wish I could tell you better, but yeah. He will.”

Grover didn’t bleat or panic like expected. Instead, he said, voice clearer than it had been the whole time, “I’ve got to rally the nature spirits then. Maybe we can help. I’ll see if we can find this Morpheus!”

Percy sounded happy. “Better tell Juniper you’re okay too.”

“Juniper!” Grover groaned, voice muffled. “Oh she’s going to kill me!” His hoof beats clattered away and then back again, bringing around the sweet scent of peaches and goat fur once more as he threw himself against Percy in another hug. “Be careful down there! Come back alive!”

He ran off again.

A faint and uneasy sigh fell from Percy’s lips but he roused Mrs. O’Leary awake nonetheless. Eager, she immediately shoved herself into the void of the tunnel, paws pattering down the steps.

“Ready?” Nico asked, a little nervous. When Percy didn’t respond, just sucked in a tight breath jumbled with fear and anxiety, Nico shook his head lightly and said, “It’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”

He wasn’t sure who he was actually trying to convince of that.

Percy took in one more breath before murmuring, “Let’s go.”

They plunged into the abyss.

 

* * *

 

Darkness stretched on forever, dim light bouncing off of the walls from Percy’s sword. Ahead of them, Mrs. O’Leary was barking rapidly, the sound echoing loud and hard, pounding in Nico’s skull. Percy gripped Nico’s wrist, wincing every time a bark reverberated back at them.

Minutes passed into hours before, finally, a few feet ahead, water crashed against a shore. Panic shot up in Nico’s chest and he stilled for a moment. It was a moment too long however, catching Percy by surprise.

“You okay?” he asked.

Nico nodded quickly. “Fine. Just keep moving.”

The emerged out of the tunnel at the base of the cliff, the light brighter than the reflection off Percy’s sword but not by much. Beside them, the River Styx hurled itself downstream. Faintly, Nico could hear the screaming of lost souls within it.

He shivered before tugging Percy towards the gates.

“Um, Nico-“

“We have to go inside the gates first,” Nico muttered quickly, tugging his arm out of Percy’s grip and tap-tap-tapping quickly away.

Percy’s footsteps followed quickly but his voice was cautious, confused. “But the river’s right here.”

“I… have to get something,” Nico said. “It’s the only way.”

The dead were lined up, ghostly forms fogging Nico’s limited view and he scowled. Why the Hades were the lines so backed up! He muttered a vague curse at Charon and marched on through. Mrs. O’Leary barked rapidly against, giant form bounding over to Cerebus.

“Mrs. O’Leary, no!” Percy shouted. “Don’t sniff…” He groaned. “Oh, man.”

In spite of himself and the… feelings bumbling inside of him, conflicted and scared and tense, Nico snorted and grinned lowly. Until Percy’s hand brushed his own and then he scowled again, trying to tug back the feeling of being a traitor.

It wasn’t- _he_ wasn’t being a bad person.

Was he?

He just wanted to _know_ what happened to him. What happened to his mother. Why he couldn’t remember _anything_.

Percy… Percy would understand. And it wasn’t like his father was going to do anything particularly _cruel_ to Percy. Just probably try to scare him out of fighting or let Persephone punch him like she’d been wanting to do.

Though why she was so intent on punching Percy, Nico didn’t know. And frankly, he didn’t really _want_ to find out.

Nico shook his head, “Come on. They won’t give us any trouble in the line. You’re with me.”

They slipped through the security gates and into the Fields of Asphodel. Percy whistled three times to call Mrs. O’Leary to them and Nico winced. If Percy’s singing was anything like his whistling, a high and shrill, almost inhuman, shriek, then maybe it _was_ a good thing they waited so long for Grover to show up.

They trudged through the fields of black grass. His cane hit the trunks of several poplar trees before the palace of Hades finally loomed into view. A rich vanilla scent seemed to flow out of the walls, bringing with it a sense of dread and doom.

Part of Nico wanted to regenade, run away.

The other part yearned.

“Hey,” Percy snapped, grabbing Nico’s arm so suddenly the boy nearly tipped over, “we’re inside the gates already. Where are we-”

The branches of a nearby tree, somewhere to his left, creaked.

“Mrs. Dodds,” Percy hissed, sounding _vaguely_ polite.

Alecto snarled. “Welcome back, honey.”

The branches creaked a little more. “You know Alecto?”

“She was my math teacher,” Percy said.

Nico nodded and tugged his arm out of Percy’s grip, stepping a little off to the side and turning in the direction of the Furies. He took a deep breath. “I’ve done what my father asked. Take us to palace.”

“Wait a second, Nico. What do you-”

“I’m afraid this is my new lead, Percy,” Nico interrupted, just a tad remorseful. “My father _promised_ me information about my family, _but_ he wants to see _you_ before we try the river. I’m sorry.”

“You _tricked_ me?” Percy snarled and his blue blob lunged right at him, a golden shimmer along with it.

Panic shot up Nico’s throat like bile but the branches snapped and the blue blob was in the air. Nico swallowed.

It burned.

Tisiphone heaved Nico into the air beside them, her talons wrapping fully around his skinny arms. Her wings _fwumphed_ in the air. Goosebumps lit up his skin as air flushed past him, cold.

“Oh don’t struggle, honey,” Alecto cackled at Percy. “I’d hate to drop you.”

She didn’t sound like she’d hate it.

Mrs. O’Leary barked up at them, the sound echoing and pissed, and her paws pounded against the ground as she jumped, teeth snapping at them.

“Tell Mrs. O’Leary to behave,” Nico said. “I don’t want her to get hurt, Percy. My father is waiting. He just want to talk.”

 _Please, just want to talk_ , Nico pleaded.

Through clenched teeth, Percy seethed, “Mrs. O’Leary, down! It’s okay, girl.”

Mrs. O’Leary whimpered and whined, but the pounding ceased.

“Alright, traitor,” Percy spat. “You’ve got your prize. Take me to the stupid palace.”

 

* * *

 

Nico was deposited beside Percy, who tensed and growled low under his breath. The smell of vanilla permeated heavily around them. It was probably Persephone, happy to be home. Otherwise, sulfur would’ve stank in its place instead.

It was quiet, the thrones empty and then-

“-told you he was a bum!” Demeter said and Nico considered just walking off and never coming back.

Demeter was the bane of his existence and he’d only met her _once_!

“Mother!” Persephone hissed just as Hades said, “We have visitors! Please!”

With their arrival came the awkward mix of death and flowers, an odd combination that worked rather well. Like their relationship, Nico supposed. Persephone’s colours kept blooming pink and purple and blue and yellow, shifting. Hades was a dark smudge, barely visible in the all the black. Besides, his voice, the only reason Nico could ever pinpoint him was because of the halo of red and white above him. According to Lorrie, it was a flower crown that Persephone made him wear throughout the spring and summer so he’d never forget her while she was gone.

Nico believed this partly because Lorrie rarely lied and partly because Persephone had handed _him_ a pink-black bracelet before she left for the Upper World, woven with special flowers she’d created herself and magicked so heavily the flowers would never die.

He wore it every day.

Demeter, this time, looked like a golden blob and, like the last time Nico had met her, smelled like wheat.

“Percy Jackson. At last.” He sounded like he was going for “on-the-verge-of-madness”. Nico wondered how well it worked with the crown on.

“Hmmph,” Demeter grumbled. “Demigods. Just what we need.”

Nico ignored her and knelt low. “Father, I have done as you asked.”

“Took you long enough,” Hades grumbled. “Your sister would’ve done a better job.”

Nico dropped his head, a faint feeling of shame and pain burbling in his chest.

“Oh, he just has to act mean and rude in front of other people,” Lorrie had explained one afternoon. “Otherwise people would know what a softie he is. Which isn’t a bad thing, softness is very important in a person, except then we’d have a thousand heroes singing sad songs to get him to let their dead go. And frankly we can’t have that. Plus, no one would ever take him seriously.”

“None of you take him seriously now,” Nico had retorted through a mouthful of French fries.

Lorrie had laughed. “We do!” she’d protested. “Just not as much as we should.”

With that knowledge, the blow _hurt_ but not as much as it would have.

“What do you want, Hades?” Percy snapped.

“To talk, of course.” Flighty amusement swooned in his voice. “Didn’t Nico tell you?”

“So this whole quest was a lie. Nico brought me down here to get me killed.”

Nico resisted the urge to wince as Hades snorted. “Oh no. I’m afraid Nico was quite sincere about wanting to help you. The boy is as honest as he is dense.”

 _Says you,_ Nico thought, vaguely remembering the five individual times Thanatos had to walk Hades through using an iPad. A familiar laugh bubbled, low and faint, from the foot of the thrones.

“I simply convinced him to take a small detour and bring you here first,” Hades finished.

Nico cleared his throat, raising off his knee. “Father, you promised that Percy would nto be harmed. You said if I brought him, you would tell me about my past, about my mother.”

Persephone sighed. “Hades?”

“I had to promise him something,” Hades replied.

Demeter harrumphed, grumbling, “I warned you. This scoundrel Hades is no good. You could’ve married the god of doctors or the god of lawyers, but _nooo_. You had to eat the pomegranate.”

Through clenched teeth, Persephone hissed, “Mother-”

“And get stuck in the Underworld!”

“Mother, please-”

“And here it is August, and do you come home like you’re supposed to? Do you ever think about your poor lonely mother?”

“DEMETER!” Hades shouted, just as something, the arm of a throne perhaps, snapped. Persephone’s colourful blur began swirling in vibrant reds and oranges. Her soul pulsed the same, angry.

“That is enough,” Hades continued. “You are a guest in my house.”

“Oh, a house is it?” Demeter laughed. “You call this dump a house? Make my daughter live in this dark, damp-”

“ _I like it here,_ ” Persephone snarled, low and dangerous.

The hairs on the back of Nico’s neck shot up and beside him, Percy sucked in a nervous breath. Lorrie’s voice echoed low as she attempted to soothe Persephone to a calm.

Hades cleared his throat. “I told you. There’s a _war_ in the world above. You and Persephone are better off here with me.”

His tone happily conveyed that he did not want her there at all.

She was a stressful figure, constantly insulting him and making Persephone prone to rages. She was only there because he’d made the honest mistake of showing up to “kidnap” Persephone “again” and Demeter had been there that time, latching on to his weak excuse of wanting to keep them “ _both”_ safe because of the oncoming war like a leech.

“Excuse me,” Percy broke in before Demeter could make a vile retort. “But if you’re going to kill me, could you just get on with it?”

“Well, this one had an attitude,” Demeter mused.

“Indeed,” Hades agreed sullenly.

“Let’s kill him,” Persephone said and Nico went ramrod still.

“Father!” he urged. “You promised he wouldn’t be harmed!”

“Mmm,” Hades hummed. He sighed. “I did promise him, my dear. Besides, we can’t go incinerating _every_ hero. There’d be a massive pile up in the lines and no doubt _someone-_ ” He shifted annoyed, cloth slinging smoothly. “-would be annoyed.”

“Just a little bit?” Persephone pleaded.

“Well-“

“Father, you promised!” Nico said, fisting his hands. “You said you only wanted to talk to him. You said if I brought him, you’d explain.”

“And so I shall.” He sighed. “Your mother- what can I tell you? She was a wonderful woman.” Demeter made a noise of outrage and his tone darkened a little. “For a _mortal_ , of course. Her name was Maria di Angelo. She was from Venice, but her father was a diplomat in Washington, D.C. I met her at a showing in Venice. Despite her background, she took to dance and was quite skilled with it.”

“ _Beautiful_ ,” Persephone remarked and a glow lit up in Nico’s chest.

“Yes,” Hades agreed. “When you are your sister were young, it was a bad time to be children of Hades. World War Two was brewing. A few of my, ah, _other_ children were leading the losing side. I thought it best to put you two out of harm’s way.”

“That’s why you hid us in the Lotus Casino?”

“You didn’t age. You didn’t realize time was passing. I waited for the right time to bring you out.”

“But what happened to our mother? Why don’t I remember her?”

“That… that doesn’t matter. It’s not important,” Hades said quickly, sounding pained.

“ _What_? Of course it’s important! And if you had other children, why were we the only ones who were sent away? And who was the lawyer who got us out?”

“Nico, that’s enough,” Persephone snapped.

He trembled, ignoring her, which in hindsight was not a smart thing to do when she was already annoyed but he was desperate. “Why did you free us from the casino?”

“You know why,” Hades said. “This idiot son of Poseidon cannot be allowed to be the child of the prophecy.”

Something red flashed past his view and disappeared into the darkness of his father’s robes. “You should be helping Olympus!” Percy shouted. “All the other gods are fighting Typhon and you’re just sitting here-”

“Waiting things out,” Hades finished smoothly. His voice was taut and tight. “Yes, that’s correct. When’s the last time Olympus ever helped me, half-blood? When’s the last time a child of _mine_ was ever welcomed as a hero?” Hades’ soul, normally a light gray, blackened so violently Nico’s head spun and he nearly fell down. “Why should _I_ rush out and help _them_? I’ll stay here with my forces intact.”

“And when Kronos comes after you?” Percy challenged, his soul raging and fiercely as a storm.

“Let him try. He’ll be weakened. And my son here, Nico-” Hades faltered like suddenly he remembered that Nico was a twelve year old boy, scrawny and _blind_. “Well, he’s not much now, I’ll grant you, but give him four more years of training. We can hold out that long, surely. Nico will turn sixteen, as the prophecy says, and then _he_ will make the decision that will save the world.”

“And then my husband will be king of the gods,” Persephone leered.

Hades’ resulting, “Wait, _what?_ ” was lost to Percy’s enraged, “You’re crazy!” His breaths pounded out of him, harsh and loud. “Kronos will crush you, right after he’s finished pulverizing Olympus.”

“I do believe, little demigod,” Persephone began, a harsh and violent thread to her voice, “I told you _not_ to disrespect me in my own house again.” The vanilla scent to the air turned sour. “I suppose you will get a chance to find out which one of us is correct because you will be waiting out this war in my dungeons.”

“No!” Nico shouted. He started forward. “That’s wasn’t our agreement! And, Father, you haven’t told me everything!”

“I’ve told you all you need to know,” Hades said. “As for our agreement, I did speak with Jackson. I did not harm him. You did get your information. However, nothing in our deal stops Persephone from doing as she wishes. Besides, if you had wanted a better deal, you should’ve made me swear on the Styx. Now, go to your room!”

Nico felt himself fade away and stumbled forward as the world landed back under his feet. It was quiet now and the massive amount of negative space that had surrounded him before had dwindled considerably. He gripped his cane hard and tried not to cry.

Lorrie shimmered beside him. “Hey,” she said weakly.

“He lied!”

“He didn’t. He did as the two of you agreed.” She sighed. “Persephone does not like to be disrespected, Nico. And she does not like the Heavens. The Underworld is where she feels most comfortable. It makes sense she would rather have a champion of the Underworld reign against Kronos than a champion of the Heavens. And your father has been ignored and hated for so long, a taste of victory would be as appealing to him as a drink of water would be to Tantalus.”

Nico squared his shoulders, wiping away his tears roughly. “I have to help Percy.”

“Rest first,” Lorrie demanded, shoving him towards his bed. “You’ll be no good like this.” She squeezed his shoulder. “It’s not your fault.”

“Then why does it _feel_ like it is?” he moaned as he faceplanted into his bed.

“Persephone is as unpredictable as a blight of locusts,” Lorrie said. She stroked his hair back, humming low under her breath. Somewhere a song was playing lightly, lulling him to sleep. “Now go to sleep, or I’m gonna slap you.”

He laughed and slowly found himself drifting off.

 

* * *

 

“ _Percy?”_ Nico hissed at a whisper before finding himself pinned to the floor with a sword at his throat and a foot on his chest. The sword pressed deep into his neck. “Want… to… rescue,” he choked out.

Percy’s foot pressed hard into his chest. “Oh, yeah? And why should I trust you?”

“No… choice?” Nico said.

After a moment, Percy pulled away and Nico curled up into a balling, retching. Lorrie was busy distracting his father and step-mother, using Demeter as a way to annoy the both of them into an argument. If they were lucky, it would last a long while.

Well, luck meant nothing.

It _would_ last a long while.

Standing up shakily, Nico shied away from the light of Percy’s sword. “We have to get out of here.”

“Why?” Percy said, a cruel laugh in his tone. “Does your dad want to _talk_ to me again?”

Nico winced. “Percy, I swear on the River Styx, I didn’t know what he or Persephone were planning.”

“You know what your dad is like!”

“He tricked me. He promised-” Nico shook his head and held up his hands. A surrender. “Look… right now, we need to leave. I put the guards to sleep but it won’t last.” He pressed a hand to the wall and felt it vanish under his touch. “Come on.”

They jogged down the corridor. Percy snagged his shoulder, his sword glinting in front of him. “Guards,” he hissed as a skeletal clattering marched towards them.

Nico shoved him off, waved his hand in the sound’s direction and then continued to jog along as the guard slumped. By the time they made it out the servants’ entrance and into the Fields of the Asphodel, he was pretty sure that sleep sounded like the best thing ever and wondered if Percy might let them stop so he could get a quick nap.

Behind them, gongs sounded high in the air.

“Alarms,” he mumbled, drifting into Percy’s arms.

“What do we do?”

He yawned, thinking about it. “How about… run?”

Percy swore and yanked Nico up over his shoulder like he was a sack of flour, bolting down the fields. Exhausted, Nico was only _slightly_ bothered by the way Percy’s shoulder jabbed into his stomach with every step. It hurt but he was already halfway to sleep.

Just as Percy’s millionth step staggered, Mrs. O’Leary bounded out of the wheat and began barking excitedly, the sound of her circling them.

“Good girl!” Percy praised. “Can you give us a ride to the Styx?”

She barked in rabid excitement, her paws pounding against the ground. Once Percy got her settled enough, he slung Nico across her back. Nico rubbed his face into her fur and hummed tiredly. Somewhere in the sleepiest part of his mind, he wondered if Percy thought he looked cool when he was forcing the skeletal guards to pass out.

He hoped so.

Percy climbed aboard, pulling Nico into his chest hard, and they were off. Mrs. O’Leary raced towards the river, the wind pressing against Nico’s face. More alarms blared and somewhere behind them, Cerebus was barking, the sound fading out.

 

* * *

 

Once they’d made it far upriver, Percy let go of Nico and he slid right off Mrs. O’Leary’s back, crumpling into the sand.

“You’ve _gotta_ be-” Percy grumbled, shoving Nico over and forcing a bashed square of ambrosia into his mouth. “Eat that.”

It tasted nice, like warm chocolate melting over a bucket of French fries. The ambrosia snapped him awake a little bit but exhaustion seeped back into his skin and he hummed, “Uh. Better.”

“Your powers drain you too much,” Percy complained as he tried to pull Nico into a sitting position.

Nico nodded, stifling another yawn. “With great power…” A yawn slid out of his mouth and he stretched with it. “…comes great need to take a nap. Wake me up later.”

“Whoa, zombie dude.” Percy caught him as he slumped forward. “We’re at the river. You need to tell me what to do.”

Nico really didn’t care what he had to do. What he wanted to do, what his whole being was insisting he do, was take a nap to rival Rip Van Winkle. By the way Percy was shoving more ambrosia down his throat, he probably didn’t think that was a smart or good idea.

Swallowing the last bit of the ambrosia, Nico shook his head and struggled to his feet, wavering slightly under Percy’s tight grip on his wrist.

“My father will be coming soon,” he said, blinking rapidly. “We should hurry.”

They hurried to the River’s edge. The Styx had a fast current, though not as fast as the Lethe’s. It pounded, black as night, against the shore, the sharp scent of chlorine and bleach curling within it.

“So… I just jump in?” Percy asked.

“You have to prepare yourself first,” Nico explained, “or the river will destroy. It will burn away your body and soul.”

“Sounds fun,” Percy muttered.

Nico scowled. “This is _no_ joke,” he warned. “There is only one way to stay anchored to your mortal life. You have to focus on an area of yourself, of your body.”

“Demigods,” a voice called behind Percy and Nico titled his head to get a look at the ghost, seeing nothing but a shimmery white-bronze blob.

He squinted but it made no difference. Thankfully, Percy turned and said, “Achilles.”

The ghost bristled at the name. “I warned the other one not to follow my path. Now I will warn you.”

“Luke?” Percy stepped forward eagerly. “You spoke with Luke?”

“Do not do this,” Achilles warned. “It will make you powerful. _But_ it will also make you weak. Your prowess in combat will be beyond any mortal’s, but your weaknesses, your failings will increase as well.”

Nico frowned. So that made no sense. Achilles had always seemed like an okay guy, he was definitely worth a lot in Mythomagic, but so far, he was really, really… _vague_.

“You mean I’ll have a bad heel?” Percy asked, sounding equally confused. “Couldn’t I just, like, wear something besides sandals? No offense.”

“The heels is only _my_ physical weakness, demigod. My mother, Thetis, held me there when she dipped me in the Styx. What really killed me was my own arrogance,” he spat. Regret sullened his voice with a bitterness. “Beware! Turn back!”

“I have to,” Percy said after a moment. His voice was low, accepting. “Otherwise I don’t stand a chance.”

Achilles sighed. “Let the gods’ witness I tried. Hero, if you must do this, concentrate on your mortal point. Imagine one spot of your body that will remain vulnerable. This is the point where your soul will anchor your body to the world. It will be your greatest weakness, but also your only hope. No man maybe be completely invulnerable. Lose sight of what keeps you mortal and the River Styx will bun you to ashes. You will cease to exist.”

A chill of dread slithered down Nico’s back just as Percy nervously laughed, “I don’t suppose you could tell me Luke’s mortal point?”

“Prepare yourself, foolish boy. Whether you survive this or not, you have sealed your doom!” The ghost vanished, leaving that _happy_ thought in his wake.

Nico bit his lip. “Percy, maybe he’s right.”

“This was _your_ idea,” Percy reminded.

“I know, but now that we’re here-”

Percy cut him off. “Just wait on the shore. If anything happens to me…” He trailed off. “Well, maybe Hades will get his wish and you’ll be the child of the prophecy after all.”

Nico frowned, sick to his stomach at the thought. If he did end up the child of the prophecy, maybe Kronos would laugh himself to death instead of fighting. Any big bad would if they were staring down the length of their weapon into the unseeing eyes of a scrawny boy.

With that thought in his head, he listened, terrified, as Percy took a breath and stepped into the River.

 

* * *

 

Five minutes later, Percy heaved out of the River, gasping. He collapsed halfway on the sand and halfway on top of Nico’s legs. Nico yelled, shooting up and kicking Percy in the head.

“Are you okay?” he shouted. Tentatively he grabbed at Percy’s skin, felt it burn up his hands and yanked back. “Your skin! Oh, gods. You’re hurt!”

“I’m fine,” Percy muttered. “I think.”

“Do- do you feel stronger?” Nico asked.

Before Percy could say anything, behind them a voice shouted, “THERE!”

Skeletal clacking marched in their direction. In the middle of the army, Persephone sat in a chariot that blurred a blackish gold, Hades at her side. Horses lit up with fire and reeking of nightmares pulled them quickly along.

“You will not escape, Jackson!” Persephone shouted.

“Destroy him,” Hades ordered.

If Nico wasn’t so horrified at the thought of Percy’s possible destruction, he would’ve been amused at how hell the two worked together when it came to murder. “Father, no!”

The front line of zombies advanced, rushing towards them with a speed unmatched by the living. Mrs. O’Leary growled low. Percy yelled alongside her and the River Styx exploded into the air. Black overtook the whitish blurs of skeletons, knocking them aside. The sizzling smell of metal burned in the air, the skeletons dissolving into ooze.

Percy shouted and charged forward as the River descended back into its bed.

It was probably one of the more stupid things Nico had witnessed Percy do.

It was also incredibly attractive.

He wasn’t really sure how he felt about that.

The sharp scent of flowers burst into the air and from the darkness Nico could see bright pinks and purples try to weave their way around Percy’s body, keep him trapped but it worked to no avail. Percy heaved himself into the chariot, slammed straight into Hades and they both went tumbling out.

His sword glinted, pointed at Hades’ face. Persephone kicked him off her husband with relative ease but Percy whirled on her like a man possessed, pinning her to the chariot with his sword. He must’ve still had a way of trapping Hades to the ground because Hades still hadn’t moved.

“Just because I’m a nice person,” he hissed, “I’ll let you go. But first, tell me about that trap!”

Instead of answering, they vanished, Persephone probably flipping him the bird before doing so because frankly that just seemed like something she’d do, and Percy cursed rapidly.

Nico’s jaw dropped. “You just… with a sword… you just-”

“I think the river thing worked,” Percy said, exhaustion evident in his voice but tense happiness leeching through.

“Oh gee,” Nico said. “ _You think_?”

Mrs. O’Leary yelped and began bounding around, looking for spare bones. Percy heaved Hades’ black robes into the river, murmuring, “Be free.” He turned on Nico. “Go back to your father. Tell him he owes me for letting him go. Find out what’s going to happen to Mount Olympus and convince him to help.”

Nico shook his head. “I… I can’t. He’ll hate me now.”

“You have to,” Percy pressed. “You owe me too.”

Nico flushed. “Percy, I told you I was sorry. Please… let me come with you. I want to fight.”

“You’ll be more help down here.”

His heart sunk into his stomach and he dropped his head. “You mean you don’t trust me anymore.”

Percy sighed. “Just go back to your father. Work on him. You’re the only person who might be able to get him and Persephone to listen.”

Nico rubbed his arms. “Alright, I’ll do my best. Besides, he’s still hiding something from me about my mom. Maybe I can find out what.”

“Good luck,” Percy said. “Now Mrs. O’Leary and I have to go.”

“Where?”

Percy shifted. “To get this war started.” His voice hardened. “It’s time I found Luke.”

 

* * *

 

Nico flexed his dirty fingers before scratching under his eye. His fingers hit his sunglasses and he glanced around once. He took a breath before pouring a goblet of wine into the hole, chanting, “Let the dead taste again. Let them rise and take this offering. Maria di Angelo, show yourself!”

White smoke gathered in front of him, shaping into a human blob. He cocked his head, about ready to ask but the figure spoke first. _Don’t summon our mother, Nico_ , Bianca warned. _She is the one spirit you are forbidden to see._

“Why?” he whined. “What’s our father hiding?”

 _Pain_ , Bianca said. _Hatred. A curse that stretches back to the Great Prophecy._

“What do you mean?” he asked. “I have to know!” _For Percy,_ he thought miserably.

 _The knowledge will only hurt you_. _Remember what I said: holding grudges is a fatal flaw for the children of Hades_.

“I _know_ that,” Nico said dismissively. “But I’m not the _same_ as I used to be, Bianca. Stop trying to protect me!”

_Nico, you don’t understand-_

He swiped his hand through her form angrily. “Maria di Angelo! Speak to me!”

The mist expanded outwards this time, stretching wide like a screen. Nico sat back, digging his nails into the dirt ground as a scene unfolded before him. In front of him, children were laughing, their footsteps hitting hard on the ground as they chased each other.

Nico’s breath hitched. He remembered Bianca’s laugh, high and twinkling, like a star.

“Please, my dear.” Hades. His father. Talking to a blackened blur.

Nico’s heart burst with a forlorn pang.

Mother.

 _His mother_.

“You _must_ come to the Underworld,” Hades pleaded. “Persephone wishes that as well. We can keep you safe there.”

“No, my love.” Her voice, so familiar and warm, sent a shudder down Nico’s spin and filled his stomach with a heat he couldn’t quite understand. “Raise our children in the land of the dead. I will not do that.”

“Maria, please.” Hades’ voice was slowly growing desperate, needy. “The war in Europe has turned the other gods against me. A prophecy has been made. My children are no longer safe. Poseidon and Zeus-” He spat his brothers’ names like they were poison, vile and bitter. “-have _forced_ me into an agreement. None of us are to have demigod children ever again.”

Maria bristled. “But you already _have_ Nico and Bianca. Surely-”

“No! The prophecy warns of a child who turns sixteen. Zeus has decreed that the children I currently have must be turned over to Camp Half-Blood for proper training, but I know what he means. At best they’ll be watched, imprisoned, turned against their father. Even more likely, he will not take a chance. He won’t allow my demigod children to reach sixteen. He’ll find a way to destroy them and I won’t risk that!”

“ _Certamente_ ,” Maria said. _Of course_. “We will stay together. Zeus is _un imbecile_.” She patted something sturdy. “I will beat him with my brick if he dares to lay a hand on my children.”

Something deep in Nico’s heart said that was entirely true, not a fib at all, and he grinned wide, mouth a slight bit open in wonderment.

She was _amazing_.

Hades cleared his throat. “Maria, please. I told you. Zeus gave me a deadline of _last week_ to turn over the children. His wrath will horrible and I cannot hide you forever. As long as you are with the children, you are in danger too.”

Maria snorted. “You are a god, my love. You will protect us. _But_ I will _not_ take Nico and Bianca to the Underworld. They need people and sunlight, not darkness and death.”

“Then there is another option,” Hades said. “I know a place in the deser where time stands still. I could send the children there, just for a while, for their own safety, and we could be together. Persephone already has plans to build you a golden palace by the Styx.”

Maria laughed gently. “You are a kind and generous man. And Persephone holds a special place in my heart. The other gods should see you both as I do, and they would learn to fear her more.” Hades let out a hiccup of a laugh in agreement. “But Nico and Bianca need their mother. Besides they are only children. The gods wouldn’t really hurt them.”

“You don’t know my family,” Hades whispered, voice low and angry, but not at her. Never at her. “Please, Maria. I cannot lose you.”

She sighed softly. “You will not lose me. Now wait for me while I go to the bathroom.” She stood, her dress rippling. “Watch the children.”

She kissed his cheek and walked off. A moment later, the children’s laughing stopped. Nico froze, everything in him going still.

“NO!” Hades shouted as he rushed to a stand.

A wall of black erected around the children and the place exploded.

The image dissolved for a moment then solidified once more, showing the broken and dead form of Nico’s mother being cradled by his father.

Nico’s stomach dropped. In the dull heat of the garden, everything went cold.

Zeus? _Zeus killed his mother?_

Alecto descended behind the children, who weren’t crying, just standing there, still as the grave.

“Zeus!” Hades shouted. “I will crush you for this! I will bring her back!”

“My lord, you cannot,” Alecto said. “You of all immortals must respect the laws of the death.”

Hades began to glow but eventually he dulled, seeming to remember his mortal children behind him.

“Take them,” he said. He swallowed back a sob. “Wash their memories clean in the Lethe and bring them to the Lotus Hotel. Zeus cannot harm them there.”

“As you wish, my lord,” Alecto said. “And the woman’s body?”

“Take her as well,” Hades said bitterly. “Give her the ancient rites.”

Alecto, the children and Maria’s body melted into the shadows, leaving Hades to mourn alone in the ruins.

“I warned you,” a girl said.

Her blur was multicoloured, voice young and high. She sat on the smoldering remains of the sofa, patting out burning patches.

Hades growled. “You dare come here? I should blast you to dust!”

“You cannot,” the girl said simply, easily. Uncaring. “The power of Delphi protects me.”

Oh, she was the Oracle. Nico rose to his feet unsteadily, hands fisted tight.

“You’ve killed the woman I loved. Your prophecy brought us to this,” Hades roared.

“Zeus ordained the explosion to destroy the children,” she said, standing up, broken glass crunching under her feet, “because you defied his will. I had _nothing_ to do with it. And I di warn you to hide them sooner.”

“I couldn’t,” Hades seethed. “Maria would not let me! Besides, they were innocent!”

“Nevertheless, they are your children, which makes them dangerous. Even if you put them away in the Lotus Hotel, you only delay the problem. Nico and Bianca will never be able to rejoin the world lest they turn sixteen.”

“Because of your so-called Great Prophecy,” Hades snarled. “And you have forced me into an oath to have no other children! You have left me with nothing to remain in the world of the living!”

“I forsee the future,” the girl said dully. “I cannot change it.”

“Then, Oracle-” He said the world like it was a joke, a black rage seeped into his voice. “-hear the words of Hades. Perhaps I cannot bring back Maria. Nor can I bring _you_ an early death. But your _soul_ is still mortal and I _can_ curse you.”

The girl stumbled back. “You would not-”

“I swear,” Hades hissed, stalking ever closer and closer to her, “as long as my children remain outcasts, as long as I _labor_ under the curse of your Great Prophecy, the Oracle of Delphi will never have another mortal host. You will never rest in peace. No other will take your place. Your body will wither and die and still the Oracle’s spirit will be locked inside you. You will your bitter prophecies until you crumble into nothing.” He seized her into the air. “ _The Oracle will die with you!_ ”

The girl screamed.

The image shattered.

Nico fell to his knees, body rolling in shock.

Hades loomed in front of him.

Everything was still for a moment.

Silent.

And then it all turned black.

 

* * *

 

 

Nico gestured erratically. “You have to!”

“I don’t _have_ to do anything!” Hades snapped. “I’m a god.”

“Father,” Nico said, “if Olympus falls, your own palace’s safety doesn’t matter. You’ll fade too.”

“I am not an Olympian,” he growled. “My family has made that _quite_ clear.”

“You are. Whether you like it or not,” Nico urged, because technically, according to Mythomagic kits he’d had, Hades was an Olympian god. Which is why he got Olympian benefits like five hundred plus healing and a fifteen percent attack bonus against non-Olympian gods and monsters.

“You saw what they did to your mother,” Hades said. “Zeus _killed_ her. And you would have me _help_ them? They deserve what they get!”

“Here, here,” Persephone agreed from the breakfast table. Red bloomed in front of her before turning blue then purple.

“You know what would help this boy,” Demeter mused. “Farming.”

Nico dropped his arms and just stared in Demeter’s direction, confused. Persephone made an irritated noise. “Mother-”

“Six months behind a plow. Excellent character building.”

Six months behind a plow sounded incredibly boring and the lead towards his siding with the Titans. He shook his head, ignoring her and her weird farm and plant obsessed ways, prodding at his father with his cane.

“My mother understood about family,” he said, gesturing erratically again. “That’s why she didn’t want to leave us. You can’t just abadon your family because they did something horrible.” He pointed, jabbing his finger in Hades’ direction. “You’ve done horrible things to them too.”

The anger in his voice disappeared and, apathetically, Hades said, “Like what?”

Nico froze, thinking rapidly.

Oh.

 _Crap_.

“You kidnapped my daughter, you swine,” Demeter yelled.

“She walked in here of her own accord and refused to leave,” Hades said blankly. “We’ve been through this.”

“You stole her!”

“Mother!” Persephone seethed through gritted teeth. “Stop insisting that I was kidnapped.”

Nico flapped his hand, unable to come up with anything. “Whatever. It doesn’t matter! You can’t just cut yourself off from the other gods!”

“I’ve done very well at it for thousands of years.”

“And has that made you feel _any_ better?” Nico asked, voice slightly shrill. “Has that curse on the Oracle helped you at all? Holding grudges is a fatal flaw. Bianca warned me about that and she was right!”

“For demigods! I am immortal, all-powerful! I would not help the other gods if they begged me, if Percy Jackson himself pleaded-”

“You’re just as much of an outcast as I am!” Nico yelled. His body felt tense with anger. “Stop being angry about it and do something helpful! That’s the only way they’ll respect you!”

Heat lit up near his father and Nico scowled at him. “Go ahead. Blast me. That’s just what the other gods would expect from you. Prove them right.”

“Yes, please,” Demeter moaned. “Shut him up.”

Persephone sigh, slumping. “Truth be told, dear, I would rather fight in the war. Eating cereal is boring and I’m quite tired of my mother.”

Demeter huffed, insulted, as Hades yelled and blasted a silver tree, melting into a pool of steaming and sizzling liquid.

 

* * *

 

Persephone placed his helmet on his head, flipping the flap up to press a quick kiss to his cheek. “Try not to die,” she said quietly.

Nico nodded and moved his hand up to push the flap down. He paused. “Persephone. Do you-” He took a breath. “Do you think my mother would be proud of me?”

“ _Very_ proud.” She squeezed his hand. “And overly disappointed she couldn’t join the fight herself.”

He laughed and swallowed. “Are you- are you proud of me?”

She laughed quietly under breath, dropping his flap before pulling him close to her chest. He inhaled the rich scent of vanilla and roses as she whispered, “ _Very._ ”

He smiled and pulled away. “Don’t be late.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” she said, pushing him into the shadows.

Within the shadows, Nico pulled and tugged, stumbling out of a wall, Mrs. O’Leary bounding out beside him. She howled loud into the air. Keeping a hand on her side, his other innocently tap-tap-tapping at the ground, he strolled forward.

“Nico?” Percy called out.

Mrs. O’Leary barked loud and ran towards him. Nico kept walking, feeling the army around him fall back, fearing the stench of death that stuck to his armor. He grinned. “Got your message. Is it too late to join the party?”

“Son of Hades.” Kronos spat on the ground. “Do you love death so much you wish to experience it?”

Nico smirked, locking his arms behind his head, cane gripped tight in both hands. “Your death would be great for me.”

“I’m immortal, you fool! I have escaped Tartarus. You have no business here and no chance to live.”

Raising his arms from behind his head, Nico let his cane sharped into his sword. “I don’t agree.”

The ground rumbled beneath them. Nico grineed wickedly as the dead clawed their way out of the ground, out of the buildins and sidewalks. Thousands upon thousands of them emerged and the enemy stumbled back, horrified. Rapid whispers broke out.

“HOLD YOUR GROUND!” Kronos demanded. “The dead are no match for us!”

Above them the sky was blackening. The air turned cold and chill. Shadows thickened as Hades’ chariot roared down the road, stopping beside Nico. Nightmare horses whinnied like the roar of beast, their shadowy forms flicking over his body and seeping into his armor. Persephone sat beside her husband, his equal, her form bright and colourful amidst the darkness that oozed.

“Hello, Father,” Hades said coldly. “You’re looking… young.”

“Hades, I hope you and the ladies have come to pledge your allegiance.”

Persephone let out a short and booming laugh. Nico grinned.

“I’m afraid not,” Hades said shortly. “My son here convinced me that perhaps I should prioritize my list of enemies. As much as I dislike certain _upstart_ demigods-” And there was no way he was _not_ glaring at Percy when he said that. “-it would not do for Olympus to fall. I would miss bickering with my siblings. And if there is one thing we agree on, it is that you were a _terrible_ father.”

“True,” Demeter muttered behind them. “No appreciation of agriculture.”

“Mother, I swear if you talk about agriculture one more time today, I will stab you,” Persephone warned

Kronos’ soul bristled, as did the souls of literally everyone but the people who knew her. Clearly they were not expecting that from a _flower_ goddess.

“NOW!” Persephone shouted and there was a sudden darkness to the air that couldn’t quite be explained. “Fight us! For today the House of Hades will be called the savior of Olympus!”

“I don’t have time for this,” Kronos snarled, and wasn’t that going to be an _excellent_ boost to Persephone’s ego.

Kronos struck the ground, the sound clanging hard against Nico’s ears. Deafening cracks rang out and Nico stumbled at the ground gave way. Lorrie shimmered beside.

“He’s sealing them off!” she said. “Separating us from them!”

Oh, that was definitely going to be a boost to Persephone’s ego.

She liked being feared.

Around them engines revved to life and pedestrians were waking up, most of them stammering, stunned. Something rammed against the barrier around the building but Nico was focusing on something familiar too much to care. He stumbled as another blast the barrier, regaining his stride and charging into the army.

“Mrs. Jackson!” he yelled, stabbing some monster through the chest. “What are you doing?”

“Duck!” Lorrie called and he did, dropping under the swing of a sword coming from behind. He rolled on his heels, pushed up and stabbed whoever, or _what_ ever, it was through the throat. Behind him, Mrs. Jackson’s soul was shoving its way through the crowd, unimpeded by the swords rushing through her.

Mr. Blofis snatched up something from the ground and stabbed a monster.

“Oh, I like him,” Lorrie chirped, form dissipating as a soldier slashed her out of the way. She reappeared by Nico’s side. “That was rude.”

Nico laughed and ran his sword through the person’s chest, slicing up and splitting them in half. Blood splattered against his armor and he rolled back, ducking under the arm of a cyclopes. He grabbed the arm of another soldier attempting to, slung himself low and skidding under the arm as he pulled. The body went down. He stabbed and moved on, heaving his way towards Mrs. Jackson. She was rummaging through a car, unaware of the monster charging straight for her.

Nico tried to go a little faster when suddenly the monster was flying straight for him. He jabbed his sword out and felt the monster dissolve into dust. He spat some out and started running again, cutting through souls and bodies as he did, feeling the air around him shudder a little colder as his blade pooled even blacker.

“When did you learn to fire a shotgun?” Percy shouted, voice muffled slightly by the barrier.

“About two seconds ago,” Mrs. Jackson replied, so simply as though everyone learned to fire shotguns in two seconds. “Percy, we’ll be fine. Go!”

“Yes,” Nico agreed. “We’ll handle the army. You have to get Kronos!”

“Wait, aren’t you _blind?_ ” Mr. Blofis said, incredulously.

Nico nodded once, swung around and sliced through a dracaena with relative easy. He glanced back at Mr. Blofis. “Yes. I am.”

 

* * *

 

When the fighting was done, Nico passing his blade through one final monster, seeing the world cast a bluish hue for a passing second, Nico was exhausted. Lorrie patted his back. “You did good,” she soothed.

“Thanks,” he said, settling down to rest.

Hours would pass by before he’d be told to stand, welcomed into Olympus as a hero, his father and step-mother behind him. After pressing a swift kiss to Persephone’s cheek, Hades settled into the guest chair at the foot of the hearth and Nico dropped, cross-legged, at his feet, breathing deep and calm.

Zeus rambled on, a long speech about the bravery of the gods and so on, before clearing his throat and beginning to thank those who _actually_ helped.

“As for my brothers,” he said, “we are thankful-” He cleared his throat again, like the word were lodged there, unable and unwilling to get out. “-erm, thankful for the aid of Hades.”

He didn’t say much more than that but Nico grinned anyway, feeling his father pat his briefly on the shoulder.

Zeus went on, stumbling over his thanks to Poseidon, giving Thalia the highest of praise and granting Tyson a new and amazing… stick. Dionysus cut in, congratulating Grover and electing him a lord of the Wild. To which, Grover’s soul turned a bright pink before he passed out in glee.

Nico vaguely wondered if he was okay as the nature spirits carried him off.

Annabeth was named an architect of Olympus and Percy was offered godhood. Nico relaxed, mind still buzzing with adrenaline. So all Percy had to do was say yes and then the ceremony would be over and Nico could go sleep for the next one million hours. All’s well that ends well.

“No,” Percy said instead and the room went tense.

“No?” Zeus said. “You are… turning _down_ our generous gift?”

“I’m honored and everything,” Percy said. “Don’t get me wrong. It’s just… I’ve got a lot of life left to live. I’d hate to peak in my sophomore year.”

Nico shifted, grinning low, and somewhere someone was laughing quietly.

“I do want a gift, though,” Percy continued. “Do you promise to grant my wish.”

“If it is within our power,” Zeus said after some thought.

“It is,” Percy amended. “And it’s not even difficult. _But_ I need to you to promise on the River Styx.”

“What? You don’t trust us?” Dionysus snapped.

“Someone once told me,” Percy said, and there was no deny that _he_ was looking at Hades, “you should always get a solemn oath.”

“Guilty,” Hades said.

“Very well!” Zeus huffed. “In the name of the Council, we swear by the River Styx to grant your _reasonable_ request as long as it is within our power.”

The others murmured assent. Thunder boomed and Nico jumped as the sudden noise.

Percy took a breath and asked.

Nico relaxed against his father’s legs.

Well.

Now it looked like he had a cabin to plan.

He grinned.

 

* * *

 

He wasn’t grinning when he burst back into the lobby. “Percy!”

Percy caught his arm. “What?”

“It’s Rachel,” Nico said. “I just ran into her!”

“What’s she done this time?” Annabeth said, wearily.

“It’s where she’s gone,” Nico explained. “I told her she would die fi she tried, but she insisted. She just took Blackjack-”

“ _She took my Pegasus_?” Percy demanded.

Nico nodded rapidly. “She’s heading to Half-Blood Hill. She said she had to get to camp.”

“ _What?_ ” Percy and Annabeth chorused.

 

* * *

 

They got to camp, Rachel became the Oracle, issued a prophecy and then Nico patted someone on the face, turned and passed out, face first, into the grass. Through his sleep-filled mind, he could feel someone heave him up and carry him into the Big House, dumping him on something soft and warm. He let out a sigh and snuggled into a pillow.

Prophecy, smophecy. Who need to be afraid when your pillow felt like a fucking cloud?

Besides, Apollo was right. Seventy years had gone by before this one was even completed. Nico snuggled deepr into his pillow. He’d be long gone before the next one played out.

And with that thought, he finally drifted to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S SO LONG RIGHT?? NOW IMAGINE TRYING TO TYPE _all_ OF THAT. Can you see where I rushed to end it?? _CAN YOU?????_
> 
> And I accidentally deleted my blog a few weeks ago, trying to remove a side account so unfortunately I can't direct you to my one billion headcanons about Maria di Angelo and her interactions with her boyfriend and her boyfriend's wife that I had posted BUT REST ASSURED, my main headcanon is that they were in a mutual and understanding polyamorous relationship where Maria and Persephone were friends (though Persephone was _defs_ up to be more). Also that Maria has taken on _millions_ of monsters (and assholes who don't understand the meaning of no) with her trusty brick, kept safe in her purse, so like smashing Zeus upside the head with it was totally in her plan. She is a lovely badass and she's so far out of Hades' league, it's ridiculous.
> 
> Also I'm a firm believer in the idea that Persephone fucking marched down into the Underworld, slapped Hades' ass and said, "Imma be your fucking queen" and then refused to leave.
> 
> ALSO IF ANYONE WANTS TO DRAW THE SCENE WHERE NICO KILLS A MONSTER AND THEN LOOKS BACK AT PAUL AND SAYS, YES, I AM A BLIND HOBO, I WOULD SERIOUSLY APPRECIATE THAT.


	4. The Son of Neptune/The Mark of Athena

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I MAY HAVE MADE HAZEL AND NICO A LITTLE MORE TOUCHY-FEELY WITH EACH OTHER THAN THEY ACTUAL ARE BUT EH. I also shoved all of Nico's scenes from SoN and MoA into this one chapter but like??? I SEVERELY UNDERESTIMATED HOW MANY SCENES HE'S INVOLVED IN IN THE SON OF NEPTUNE. That's probably because he only says/does anything once every three pages and there are always like fifty blocks of dialogue in between that (which I tended to skip over when writing (which is why Nico zones out like fifty times :P) bc like who the fuck's got time for that???) but STILL. GAWD.
> 
> For MoA, MOSTLY SHORT SCENES THAT I COULD MAKE UP AND THEN ONLY ONE AND A HALF THINGS OF DIALOGUE SO YAY?? So this section is really short and I think I swore like five million times writing it but I couldn't be bothered to edit it out because I am so fucking tired. Plus I think after being undoubtedly tortured through Tartarus and then being shoved in a jar for a week, Nico would be a bit more on the side of cursing for the rest of his natural life, so there's that.
> 
> Also, side note, I don't remember much of Nico's travels through Tartarus, if they were mentioned at all in BoO, and frankly I can't be bothered to fact-check so I pretty much instigate that he was heavily tortured while in the possession of Gaea's forces, both while in Tartarus and on his way to Rome.

**The Son of Neptune**

Miserable, Nico walked out of the gates leading to Elysium. Walking in had strengthened him with hope. Leaving had burned him. He felt like a child, reaching out to flickering flames and then wondering why they burned.

Bianca hadn’t been there.

After the war, she’d chosen to be reborn. She’d just left.

She didn’t even say goodbye.

He swallowed dryly, moving slow between the ghosts wandering the Fields of Asphodel. They were all the same. Lost. Scared. With searching eyes that saw nothing, they faded in and out of the world, shifting by him, scattering at the sight of his cane.

Nico paused. Something… was different.

And there she was. A soul. Much brighter than the rest. She retained her golden hue, almost as if she was alive. She was sitting under a poplar tree, bright against the black bark, just like his father said she’d be.

He walked up to her. “You’re different,” he said. _Roman_ , he thought. “A child of Pluto. You remember your past.”

“Yes,” Hazel said. Her soul seemed to thrum a little sad. “And you’re alive.”

Nico squatted in front of her, holding out his hand. She shook it gingerly the feeling cold. “I’m Nico di Angelo,” he said as he let go of her hand and stood. He gazed back at the gates of Elysium. “I came looking for my sister. Death is missing so I thought, I thought I could bring her back and no one would notice.”

“Back to life?” Hazel asked. “Is that possible?”

“It should’ve been,” Nico muttered. He sighed, dipped his head. “But she’s gone. She chose to be reborn into a new life. I’m too late.”

Her voice was genuine when she said, “I’m sorry.”

Nico smiled lightly at her. “You’re my sister too. You deserve another chance.” He stuck out his hand. “Come with me,” he asked.

And she did.

* * *

 

“Hey,” Hazel called out, nudging Nico’s soul gently like he’d taught her. “I’ve brought a friend.”

Instinctively, Nico tuned in on the soul beside her as he turned in her direction. A violent spasm fluttered up his spine and he swallowed, thickly. The soul pulsed a familiar blue, tense but calm, unafraid. It was clean, fresh like a newborn baby but with an _age_ grimed with magic rather than the stench of the Lethe.

“This is Percy Jackson,” Hazel said patiently, hopefully unaware of the panic Nico was trying to conceal. “He’s a good guy. Percy, this is my brother, the son of Pluto.”

Nico smiled, tense, held out a hand. “Pleased to meet you. I’m Nico di Angelo.”

As he took Nico’s hand, shaking it firmly twice, Percy’s soul pulsed, the magical grime that filtered it tensing angrily. “I-I know you.”

Resisting the urge to yell and run, Nico raised his eyebrows and dropped his hand. “Do you?” He bit back the urge to fiddle with his cane. A tell, Persephone had told him once.

“Um, Percy’s lost his memory,” Hazel said after a moment of silence. Briefly, she summed up what had happened since Percy had arrived. “So, Nico,” she went on, a knowing tone to her voice. “I thought… you know, you travel all over. Maybe you’ve met demigods like Percy before, or…”

His face turned dark. Silently, he pinched Hazel’s soul hard, felt her flinch beside him. _Drop it_ , he thought, saying out loud, “This story about Gaea’s army. You warned Reyna?”

“Yes,” Percy said. Hazel’s fingers brushed over Nico’s hand. Her soul, gold, tensed. Percy hadn’t stumbled over the word. Said it easy and hard. Like he knew Nico wouldn’t have seen his nod and needed the words to be loud. “Who is Gaea anyway?”

Nico bumped the ground with his cane. “She’s the earth goddess. The oldest goddess of all. She’s in a deep sleep most of the time, but she hates the gods and their children.”

“Mother Earth… is evil?” Percy asked, a tone of amused disbelief in his voice.

“Very,” Nico agreed, voice as dead as a tomb. “She convinced her son, the Titan Kronos- I mean, Saturn-” The phrase _ROMAN NAMES, FOR FUCKS SAKE, NICO_  slapped through his mind again, like it had when he’d stumbled over introducing Hazel and himself as _Pluto’s_ children. “-to kill his dad-” _ROMAN NAME._ “-Uranus, and take over the world. The Titans ruled for a long time. Then the Titans’ children, the Olympian gods, overthrew them.”

“That story seems familiar,” Percy mused. He sounded surprised, the grime tightening on his soul. His voice went foggy, clouded by loss. “But I don’t think I ever heard the part about Gaea.”

Nico shrugged, wanting to get off this topic. But it’d seem weird to Hazel, who was already obviously questioning Nico about Percy in her mind, if he didn’t explain. “She got mad when the gods took over. She took a new husband-” _ROMAN NAME._ Nico mentally slapped himself. There was no Roman equivalent to “-Tartarus, the spirit of the abyss, and gave birth to a race of giants. They tried to destroy Mount Olympus, but the gods finally beat them. At least… the first time.”

“The first time?” Percy questioned and part of Nico kinda wanted to slap him and yell at him to stop asking questions.

He vaguely wondered if he’d been this annoying when he found out gods were real.

Probably not.

“Last summer,” he continued, _ROMAN NAME_ , “Saturn tried to make a comeback. There was a second Titan war. The Romans at Camp Jupiter-” _Why did I phrase it like that, now it sounds like there’s another camp and other not-Romans, fucking fuck._ “-stormed his headquarters on Mount Othrys across the bay and destroyed his throne. Saturn disappeared-”

Percy’s soul pulsed eagerly and the grime tensed painfully.

“Uh, anyway,” Nico said quickly, thinking in rapid succession, _Get off the topic, get off the topic, get off the topic_ , “Saturn probably faded back to the abyss. We all thought the war was over. Now it looks like the Titans’ defeat stirred up Gaea.” The stories Nico had heard from his brief stays at Camp Half-Blood flittered back into mind. “She’s starting to wake. I’ve heard reports of giants being reborn. If they mean to challenge the gods again, they’ll probably start by destroying the demigods…”

“You’ve told Reyna this?” Percy asked.

“Of course.” Bitterness curled sour on his tongue. He clenched his teeth, grumbling, “The Romans don’t trust me. That’s why I was hoping she’d listen to you. Children of-” _ROMAN NAME_. “-Pluto… well, no offense, but they think we’re even worse than children of-” _ROMAN NAME._ “-Neptune. We’re bad luck.”

“They let Hazel stay here.”

“That’s different.”

“Why?”

 _Because they did it under the threat of being punished for minor offenses. Also because Jason Grace is a trusting dork, who wants to be friends with every living thing,_ Nico thought as Hazel shifted the conversation quickly. _Now stop asking questions._

“Percy, look, the giants aren’t the worst problem. Even… even _Gaea_ isn’t the worst problem,” Hazel interrupted to Nico’s great relief. “The thing you noticed about the gorgons, how they wouldn’t die, _that’s_ our biggest worry.” Nico tensed but didn’t object. “Nico and I,” she went on, voice cautious, careful, “we think that what’s happening is… Death isn’t-”

A shout from down the hill cut her off. Frank jogged towards them, footsteps heavy, panting quickly breaths. Beside him, Hazel’s soul slicked pink then flashed red then settled into a moody gold. She hadn’t talked about liking Frank but the way she acted around him, she was a little annoyed that she did. Nico had broached the topic once, trying for a brotherly connection, and Hazel had spluttered, fanning herself and insisting to no avail that Frank was _not_ her type.

It didn’t really work, especially when her soul slicked a bright pink every time he stepped into view.

And Frank was a good guy, decent and kind, so whether they ended up together or Hazel’s little crush faded away and they remained friends, Nico was pretty happy at the fact that Frank was in Hazel’s life.

Well, second life.

Frank reached them. “Hey, Nico…”

“Frank,” Nico acknowledged, smiling.

“Reyna sent me to get Percy,” he said. He scratched his arm. “Did Octavian accept you?”

“Yeah,” Percy said, sounding a little off. “He slaughtered my panda.”

“He… Oh. The augury?” Frank laughed awkwardly. “Yeah, teddy bears must have nightmares about that guy. But you’re in! We need to get you cleaned up before evening muster.”

“You’re right,” Hazel said. “We’d better-”

“Frank,” Nico interrupted, turning squarely to face him, “why don’t you take Percy down? Hazel and I-” He reached out, grasping at air until Hazel’s hand closed on his. “-will be along soon.”

Hazel went tense. Nico kept his grin short and settled, squeezing her hand reassuringly. “That’s- that’s a good idea,” she said. “Go ahead, guys. We’ll catch up.”

Walking over to Frank’s side, Percy’s footsteps were slow, thudding almost silently. “I’d like to talk with you some more. I can’t shake the feeling-”

“Sure,” Nico agreed quickly, stepping back. “Later. I’ll be staying overnight.”

“You will?” Hazel said. Beneath the worry tinged in her voice, she’d sound excited at the prospect of him staying longer.

Guilt slashed through Nico’s chest. “Go on, Percy. Settle in.” He turned, pulling Hazel along with him. “My sister and I need to talk.”

 

* * *

 

They perched atop the roof of Hades, or Pluto’s, shrine. It reeked with the stench of death, so overbearing that, despite the temptation Hazel’s thousands of diamonds littering the place, even the fauns refused to come over.

When he’d met her, he told her that she deserved another chance. A chance to right the wrong she’d unwillingly and unknowingly committed and she had gone with it, letting him take her hand and guide her out. On one hand, it was nice, kind of, to have a sister again, someone to talk to that didn’t recoil from him, nerves flared. On the other hand, dread loomed ahead, his father’s quiet words echoing dully in his ears.

She would be important, pivotal to a coming change, a danger swarming in on the horizons.

At first he’d just assumed Hades just wanted to give her a do-over. But with Gaea surging, the gods hiding, Jason apparently stumbling around Camp Half-Blood trying to piece together a world he could barely remember and Percy dropkicking his way into Camp Jupiter, memory equally as lost, it seemed his father had a lot of knowledge about the coming tides.

Vaguely Nico wondered if some of the Oracle’s spirit remained in her dead hosts, sticking to their spirits like tar so that even passed on, they still could whisper prophecies and foretell the future. It would sure explain all the crap his father couldn’t have known that he did.

“You know him, don’t you?” Hazel asked and Nico didn’t need to ask who she was talking about.

He swung his feet, cane laid across his lap. Sighing, he rolled his shoulder in agitation. “Percy Jackson.” He licked his lips, turning in her direction. “Hazel, I have to be careful what I say. Important things are at work here. Some secrets need to stay secret. You of all people- you should understand that.”

Hazel tensed, drawing into herself, nervous. “But he’s not like… like me?”

“No,” Nico said. He glanced away, fiddling with his cane handle. “I’m sorry. I can’t tell you more. I can’t interfere. Percy has to find his own way at this camp.”

Silence filtered between them for a few slow seconds and then she asked, voice low, “Is he dangerous?”

Nico smirked wryly. “Very. To his enemies. But he’s not a threat to Camp Jupiter. You can trust him.”

“Like I trust you,” Hazel muttered. Her voice edged bitter.

Tense, Nico swallowed. Around him, bones rattled, feeding off his mood and trying to form. He scowled and tried to relax. If Hazel was the wealth side of his father’s command, then he was the dead. Frankly, it seemed, she had gotten the better of the deal. At least it didn’t drain _her_ to drag gold out of the ground.

He shook his head, focusing back on the matter at hand. “Look, I know this is hard but you have a second chance. You can make things right.”

“ _Nothing_ about this is _right_ ,” Hazel huffed. Her voice turned wary, scared. “If they find out the truth about me-”

“They won’t,” Nico swore, reaching out to clap her shoulder in what he hoped was a brotherly way but was more likely just awkward and uncomfortable. Still she leaned into his grip. “They’ll call a quest soon. They have to. You’ll make me proud. Trust me, Bi-”

He stopped. Hazel’s recoiled away from him and his hand slid off her shoulder, landing in between them with a soft _thud_.

He swallowed. “I’m sorry.”

She shrugged and glanced away, the fuzzy and light orangey-brownness of her hair overtaking the darkness of her skin. Nico glanced down at his feet and fiddled with his cane again. Finally, she asked, “Then it’s true about Death? Is Alyconeus to blame?”

“I think so,” Nico said. “It’s getting bad in the Underworld. Father’s going crazy trying to keep things under control. From what Percy said about the gorgons, things are getting worse up here too. But look. That’s why you’re here.” He took her hand and squeezed it. She looked back at him. “All that stuff in your past- you can make something _good_ come out of it. You belong at Camp Jupiter.”

Hazel’s soul pulsed twice and then faded out, gold turning muted and brown, and Nico nearly slapped himself. She folded over, slumping and almost falling off the roof, but he caught her and began shaking her rapidly. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was mildly aware that it would probably look really bad for him if someone saw them like this.

“Hazel!” he urged. He slapped gently at her face. Tears were slipping down her eyes, wetting at his fingertips. “Hazel!”

She didn’t respond. He kept shaking her.

After what seemed like _forever,_ she finally jerked up. “Wha-“

He relaxed, pulling her into his side. “You did it again,” he murmured.”

The hue of her soul brightened out again. She relaxed into him and wiped at her face. Voice thick, she murmured, “S-sorry.”

“Don’t be,” he said. “Where were you?”

“My mother’s apartment.” She snuggled into him, sighing. “The day we moved.”

He carded his fingers through her hair, letting her breathe for a moment before saying, “You have to work on controlling those memories. If a flashback like that happens when you’re in combat-”

“I know,” she said weakly. “ _I’m trying_.”

“It’s okay,” Nico said. He kissed the top of her head. “I think it’s a side effect from… you know, your time in the Underworld. Hopefully it’ll get easier.

“I can’t go north again,” Hazel whispered. She pulled away a bit, her face turned to him, hair brushing against his chin then his cheek. She was close enough that he could see more solidly then normal. Her eyes were light brown, almost golden. Warm. “Nico, if I have to go back to where it happened-”

He caught her cheek with his hand. “You’ll be fine,” he promised and she leaned into his palm. He ran his thumb over the bridge of her nose. “You’ll have friends this time. Percy Jackson. He’s got a role to play this. You can sense that, can’t you? He’s a good person to have at your side.”

He pulled his hand away. Her breath blew heated against his fingertips as she sighed. “Where did he come from? Why do the ghosts call him the Greek?”

To his savior, horns blew across the river. “We’d better get down there,” Nico said, already grabbing his cane and hoisting himself off the roof to the ground. Hazel grunted as she landed beside him. “I have a feeling tonight’s war games are going to be interesting.”

* * *

 

They were jogging back when Hazel disappeared in a tumbling whirl of orange and brown. Gold glinted at the edge of her foot. Nico knelt beside and reached out for it, wondering what it-

“Don’t!” Hazel snapped, slapping his arm away.

Must’ve been gold or something, then. Nico rubbed his face. “Right. Sorry.” Beside him, she hissed as she shifted up and he pulled a flask of nectar out of his jacket. “Where?”

“I don’t know,” she said miserably. “It could’ve been buried there by robbers or dropped off a wagon a hundred years ago. Maybe it migrated from the nearest bank vault. Whatever’s in the ground, anywhere _close_ to me- it just pops up! And the more valuable it is-”

“The more dangerous,” Nico said. He frowned. “But I meant where are you hurt?”

“Oh.” She let out a little bubble of laughter and stuck out her hands, close to his face. “Here.”

He dripped a little nectar onto her hands, saying, “Should we cover it up? If the fauns find it…”

Truth be told, Nico didn’t really care for the fauns. In the deep recess of his imagination, he was patiently envisioning several of them getting various body parts chopped off from where they held or wore the cursed metals Hazel accidentally yanked out of the ground. For the most part they were more _annoying_ and bothersome than satyrs. Pretty much a massive insult to their whole species, in Nico’s opinion.

Plus, several of them tried to trick him into ingesting marijuana so frankly he figured they could all go to Tartarus.

Agitatedly, Hazel shifted. “It _should_ sink back underground after I leave, eventually, but just to be sure…”

The gold shot up in front of them, close and bright enough that Nico could see it convulsing angrily. The smell of burning metal singed the air. Nico squinted curiously but to his expectations is did nothing. Then the metal shot straight into the ground, so fast nothing was disturbed.

“Huh.” Nico got to his. “That was… brilliant.”

Ahead of them, the horns blew again. Hazel snatched his wrist. “Hurry!” she shouted as she yanked him forward and towards the gate. They made it just in time, Hazel stumbling forward as she let go of his arm and slid into her place in the line. “Present!” she shouted, voice high with her gasps, just as Dakota called out her name.

Nico grinned low and slid into place next to Percy, whose soul pulsed nervously, still covered by grime. He smelled cleaner though, devoid of the sweat that still lingered on everyone else and wearing fresh clothes that radiated low warmth.

In the lines, the Lares were falling in. They flickered in and out of place. Occasionally their purple glow settled halfway through the living but eventually, after much shouting and mumbling, the centurions got them sorted out.

There was a brief pause of silence before Octavian shouted, “Colours!”

The standard-bearers stepped forward with their poles. It probably looked really cool but all Nico could see were golden smudges so frankly it was just boring process to him.

Percy shifted close to him, his voice dropped to a whisper. “The first one has this pole with this, um, wolf on it. I think it’s howling? Either way, it’s kinda cool. Second one’s an elephant with armor on it. Third one…” He faded off, pausing. “Are you sure I don’t know you?”

“Completely sure,” Nico lied.

Maybe he should’ve stood _far_ away from Percy. The teen had developed a lot of annoying habits when it came to Nico. They appeared to be ingrained so deeply into his brain, even the thick magic grime keeping him amnesiac couldn’t stop them from slipping through.

Reyna was talking and, as Nico shifted a little bit aways from Percy, he caught the last bit of what she was saying. “Juno herself guided him here, and proclaimed him a son of Neptune.”

Percy raised a hand, easy and languid like he wasn’t bothered by the two hundred heavily armed children staring at him. His voice was calm. “Hi.”

Nico resisted the urge to grin.

“He seeks to join the legion,” Reyna continued. “What do the auguries say?”

“I have read the entrails!” Octavian announced, loud and clear, voice full of pompous arrogance that Nico was slowly beginning to want to strangle until it turned blue and _died_. Instead, he rolled his eyes. Because ripping up a stuffed toy was _exactly_ the same as slaughtering a lion or a bear. “The auguries are favourable! He is qualified to serve!”

“ _Ave!_ ” the campers hollered.

Someone, probably Frank who had admitted to his poor timing when it came to group cheers a while ago, let out a high-pitched echo of the word on the edges of the shout. Mumbled laughter followed. Nico scratched his cheek.

Sharply, Octavian turned to Percy, who turned to face him, movements calm. “Recruit,” Octavian said, “do you have credentials? Letters of reference?”

Percy shifted. “Letters? Um-” He paused like he was actually thinking about before brandishing his palms outwards, in a _does-it-look-like-I-have-letters?_ gesture. “-no.”

He could be such a jackass sometimes.

“No letters,” Octavian said regretfully and Nico changed his mind. If Percy was a jackass when it came to authority, Octavian was a major piece of crap when it came to _anything_. “Will any legionnaires stand for him?”

“I will!” Frank shouted. “He saved my life!”

Immediately, there were shouts of protests from other cohorts. Reyna raised her hand for quiet and said through clenched teeth, “Frank Zhang.” She cleared her throat, regained calm. “For the second time today, I remind you that you are on _probatio._ Your godly parent has not even claimed you yet. You’re not eligible to stand for another camper until you’ve earned your first stripe.”

Hazel stepped out of line. “What Frank meant is that Percy saved _both_ our lives,” she amended. “I am a full member of the legion. I will stand for Percy Jackson.”

Well, that was good. Whatever was at stake here, whatever was going on with Gaea and Death and whatever would come to pass, at least Hazel would be protected. Percy was, stupidly but admirably, fiercely loyal to those who trusted and/or helped him. He’d keep her safe while Nico went about his business on the outside.

“Very well,” Reyna said. “Hazel Levesque, you may stand for the recruit. Does your cohort accept him?”

Someone, probably Frank again, pounded their shield against the ground. The other members followed suit but less excited about it. The dull _thunks_ rang out twice before settling into the air.

“My cohort has spoken,” Dakota said like it pained him. “We accept the recruit.”

Reyna turned to Percy. “Congratulations, Percy Jackson.” Her voice oozed pity. “You stand on _probation_. You will be given a tablet with your name and cohort. In one year’s time, or as soon as you complete an act of valor, you will become a full member of the Twelfth Legion Fulminata. Serve Rome, obey the rules of the legion and defend the camp with honor _Senatus Populusque Romanus_.”

Nico highly doubted it was going to take a year for Percy “the-Fates-make-me-risk-my-life-ten-times-a-day” Jackson to get his stripe, but it did pend the question. How long was this act going to stand? Last he heard, the others were building a flying ship to get here. As far as he knew, they were halfway completed. But that had been months ago. Still, if complications arised, it could be longer.

And with how often Nico tried to visit, just to make sure Hazel was okay and to “accidentally” overhear any information that might interest his father, Percy was sure to find a way to corner him and rip the secret from his throat.

Nico swallowed uneasily as the legionaries echoed Reyna’s final words. As much as he hated to think it, because the consequent fall in Hazel’s voice would pretty much _end_ him, the sooner he left, the better and longer he stayed away, the greater it’d be for whatever was at stake.

“Centurions,” Reyna said, “you and your troops have one hour for dinner. Then we will meet on the Field of Mars. The First and Second Cohorts will defend. The Third, Fourth and Fifth will attack. Good fortune.”

Another cheer broke out, louder than the first. In the resulting stampede, Nico almost moved his hand to Percy’s elbow out of habit but stifled it at the last moment, pretending to flex out his wrist. Which meant nothing since Percy pulled him close and tugged him along through the crowd, almost as if he’d done multiple times before.

Which he had.

 _Tomorrow_ , Nico decided as they reached Hazel, letting a proud beam fall over his face. _I’ll leave tomorrow._

* * *

 

Nico reclined on the couch, smartly settling at the end beside Hazel to guarantee the ability to run if Percy started asking questions _and_ to avoid Dakota’s sugar breath and consequent belches.

As though to prove his point, Dakota burped, long and loud. The air filtered the low smell of Kool-Aid. Discretely, Hazel fanned the air with her hand as Dakota talked.

“Welcome to the Percy, party.” He pause then shrugged. “Party, Percy. Whatever.”

“Um, thanks,” Percy said vaguely. “Nico, I was wondering if we could talk, you know… about where I might have seen you before.”

“Sure,” Nico said, a little too loudly and a little too quickly. “The thing is, I spend most of my time in the Underworld. So unless I met you there somehow-”

To his rescue, Dakota burped again, having the common decency to block it with his hand this time. “Ambassador from Pluto, they call him. Reyna’s never sure what to do with guy when he visits. You should have seen her face when he showed up with Hazel, asking Reyna to take her in. Um, no offense.”

“None taken,” Nico breathed, relieve. “Dakota was really helpful, standing for Hazel.”

Dakota’s soul pulsed, embarrassed. “Yeah, well… She seemed like a good kid. Turned out I was right. Last month, when she saved me from, uh, you know.”

“Oh man!” Frank crowed, voice torn with excitement. “Percy, you should have seen her! That’s how Hazel got her stripe. The unicorns decided to stampede-”

“It was nothing,” Hazel mumbled, not fond of attention.

“Nothing?” Frank protested. “Dakota would’ve gotten trampled! You stood right in front of them, shooed them away, saved his hide. I’ve never seen anything like it!”

Nico hadn’t been there when she’d gotten her stripe but she’d told him about it a few days before. According to her, the “shooing” consisted of her reigning and locking into the precious metal of their horns and forcing them to turn, guiding the creatures by their horns back to the stables. She’d also quietly admitted that she was more worried about the unicorns injuring themselves and hadn’t even registered that Dakota was there.

Which made for a good laugh in the long run.

He’d been proud.

“Did you and Nico grow up together?” Percy asked out of the blue.

“No,” Nico said immediately. “I found out that Hazel was my sister only recently. She’s from New Orleans.” _And also the forties but that’s irrelevant right now,_ he added in thought. “There aren’t many of us so we have to stick together. When I found Hazel-”

“You have other sisters?” Percy asked, the question posed more like statement than a query and a shock of nerves shot down Nico’s spine.

“One,” he admitted slowly. “But she died. I saw her spirit a few times in the Underworld, except the last time I went down there… She was gone.” His voice went hoarse. He didn’t really know why he was still talking. “She used to be in Elysium- like, the Underworld paradise- but she chose to be reborn into a new life. Now, I’ll never see her again. I was just lucky to find Hazel.” He paused for a second before adding, “In New Orleans, I mean.”

Dakota grunted. “Unless you believe the rumors. Not saying that I do.”

“Rumors?” Percy asked just as one of the fauns, Don probably, yelled, “Hazel!”

There were few creatures Nico disliked more than Don, mostly because he stalked Hazel incessantly and smelled like thick smoke, but in that moment, he couldn’t hugged him.

“My favourite girl!” Don chirped as he shot up from behind the couch where’d he fallen, hit with something and wet solid like a pizza. “Say, new kid, you going to eat that?”

“Aren’t fauns vegetarians?” Percy asked.

“Not the cheeseburger, man! The plate!” He sniffed Percy. “Hey… what’s that smell?”

“Don!” Hazel snapped. “Don’t be rude.”

 _Yes, Don,_ Nico thought agitatedly as Don turned from savior to regular annoyance. _Don’t be rude. Now. Please leave before I stab you_.

“No, man,” Don bleated, sniffing loudly, “I just-”

Shimmering into existence, Vitellus’s sudden presence blared loudly on Nico’s radar. He was half stuck in the couch, form blurring Frank out more than normal. “Fauns in the dining hall!” he exclaimed, appalled. “What are we coming to? Centurion Dakota, do your duty!”

“I am,” Dakota muttered darkly, the words half gargled as he spoke. “I’m having dinner!”

“Man, you’ve got an empathy link with a faun!” Don said and Nico’s attention whiplashed.

“A what?” Percy asked.

“An empathy link! It’s real faint, like somebody’s suppressed it, but-”

Nico shot up, knees bumping the edge of the table and fumbling for his cane. “I know what!” He turned slight to Hazel. “Hazel, how about we give you and Frank time to Percy oriented,” he said, fighting to keep the desperation out of his voice. “Dakota and I can visit the praetor’s table. Don and Vitellus, you come too. We can discuss strategies for the war games.”

“Strategies for losing?” Dakota snorted.

“Death Boy is right!” Vitellus crowed. “This legion fights worse than we did in Judea and that was the _first_ time we lost our eagle. Why, if _I_ were in charge-”

“Could I just eat the silverware first?” Don interrupted.

“Let’s go!” Nico chirped, yanking on Vitellus’s soul so hard, the Lares yelled out in indignation as he was pulled from the couch, through the table and half into Nico’s side. With Don, Nico just reached out and grabbed a clump of the faun’s busy hair and dragged him away, mentally pulling Vitellus along with them.

“Ow!” Don yelled. “Man, watch the ‘fro!”

“Come on, Dakota!” Nico yelled as he tap-tapped his way to the praetor’s table, honing in on Reyna’s voice and the purple wash of her couch. “Praetor.”

She paused in the middle of her conversation to acknowledge him, sliding over a slight bit to let him sit next to her. He did. Somewhere to his left, Dakota had stumbled off to ram his goblets back and forth against the shields.

As the senior officers stopped to argue with one another, Reyna lowered her voice. “He’s an interesting boy, Ambassador.”

“Very interesting,” Nico agreed.

She laughed quietly, a rare thing but always lovely to hear.

Nico didn’t talk to Reyna much whenever he visited, mostly concerned with checking in on Hazel but she was pleasant to hold a conversation with when he did. Articulate and smart with a splash of quick wit. Plus, her voice was a nice upside, deep and authoritative in a way that made him feel calm and always ready to fight.

“I wonder how tonight’s War Games will go,” she mused, spoon clinking on the edge of her glass.

“I think you’ll be amused. And possibly surprised by the outcome,” Nico said quietly.

“Yes,” she agreed. “Percy Jackson does tend to surprise people, doesn’t he?”

Nico paused, head focused forward as he dropped his voice even lower. “You know him?”

“Vaguely,” she murmured. She sighed deep and leaned back. “You should ride with me tonight. I can give you a better overview of what happens than Vitellus or whoever else decides to sit with you in the observation tower.”

Nico wasn’t good with heights. Or pegasi. But something told him that not only was this a once-in-a-lifetime offer but also that, in that moment, with all the things conspiring in the air and the strange vibe throttling them, Reyna would not take no for answer.

He inclined his head as the argument in front of them turned physical. “Okay then. I will.”

 

* * *

 

Reyna helped him on to Scipio as the Cohorts marched to the center of the Field of Mars. She slid on in front of him and he slung his arm around her waist, trying to make mental notes of the experience in case Hazel asked him about it later.

She really, _really_ liked horses and other horse-like creatures. He didn’t really know why. They weren’t exactly so fond of _them_.

Still, Scipio remained a model pegasus, not whinnying in protest or stumbling back as the pegasi at camp did. They took flight easily, the wind rushing at his face. Behind them soared half a dozen giant eagles dressed in golden armor. They were easily noticeable in the blue of the sky.

When they’d reached whatever height Reyna considered optimal for viewing, Nico relaxed away from her. “What’s happening?”

“The Third, Fourth and Fifth are conversing their strategy,” she said. Her body twisted slight. “The First and Second are readying their defenses. The battle should begin soon.” She was silent for the briefest moments. “I met him shortly before I came here. He was with a girl and he destroyed my home.” She took a deep breath. “It is only with the sheer force of will and the apparent interest of the gods that he holds that I did not kill him on sight.”

Nico swallowed. “Eyes, right?”

There was a moment before she said, “Yes.”

Percy’s eyes were the only thing Nico could remember of his face, of his appearance. And even then, it was fading from him. Bright and glaring green. A storm. A hurricane. Part of him wanted to get close, close enough that he could see them again. Just to _see_ if they were still as bright and as green as he remembered.

Still as pretty.

“You know him,” Reyna said, a statement, solid in its delivery.

Like she already knew it was a fact.

“He saved my life,” Nico said quietly.

Reyna said nothing to that, letting the air between them dispel tension. Finally, she rolled her shoulders and said, “And the battle begins.”

She kept the commentary short and to the point, focusing on the teams as a whole rather than individual soldiers as Vitellus and the other Lares tended to do. It used to make Nico annoyed and tempted to pull Lorrie out of the Underworld but she only knew the gods by their Greek names and couldn’t lie to save _his_ life.

Her life was pretty much over. It’d be his at risk. Especially with Octavian sneering at him, insisting there was no way that a _blind_ child, of _Pluto_ nonetheless, could manage to survive on their own for so long without Lupa or _someone_ with experience pitching in.

It had been a petty but fucking _amazing_ experience to tell the asshole auger point blank that _his father_ and _his step-mother_ raised him, that he had special training from the gods _themselves_ to learn how to maneuver the world and destroy monsters in the process. Pluto’s ambassador, he’d called himself, smirking, Hazel beside him, trying hard not to laugh.

And Octavian had fumed like a smokestack.

_KA-BOOM!_

Nico jolted, nearly falling off the pegasus but Reyna reached round and snatched him, gripping his shirt tight with one hand.

“What happened?” he yelled, tugging himself up, arms tight around her waist again.

She laughed. “He burst the cannons.” She laughed again, the sound roaring loud against the cries and screams below. “You were correct, Ambassador. I am amused.”

 

* * *

 

It was amazing.

Until someone died.

It was strange how things were always great until someone died.

“There will be an investigation,” Reyna snarled, voice dark, deadly. She brimmed rage as Scipio settled against eh ground. “Whoever did this, you cost a legion a good officer. Honorable death is one thing, but _this_ …”

A cheat, Nico realized, the tip glinting through the front of the person’s chest. A sucker punch when the game was already over.

And then their soul snapped back into place and the person gasped. Nico’s eyes widened. That… was not good.

“Wha-what is it?” a timid voice asked, weak but _alive_. “What’s everyone staring at?” Whispers broke out amongst the crowd. The girl kept talking, faint. “There was a river and a man asking… for a coin? I turned around and the exit door was open. So I just… I just _left_. I don’t understand.” She coughed lightly. “What happened?”

“Gwen,” Frank said slowly. “Don’t try to get up. Just close your eyes for a second, okay?”

“Why? What-”

“Just trust me,” he whispered, voice still loud in the thrumming silence. “Percy, Hazel- help me.”

“Don’t!” someone said. “You might-”

“What?” Hazel hissed, voice trembling. “Make it worse.”

Frank inhaled deeply. “Hold her steady. One, two, three!”

There was _schlick_ as he pulled the weapon out of her. She didn’t make a noise, didn’t groan or whine. Didn’t seem to register what was happening at all. Her soul was steady, her breaths were even.

She was _fine_.

She wasn’t supposed to be _fine_.

“It’s… closing on _its own_ ,” Hazel said. “I don’t know how but-”

“I feel fine,” Gwen said. She was still confused, still lost. “What’s everyone worried about?”

“Gwen,” Hazel said gently, “there’s no easy way to say this. You were dead. Somehow… you came back.”

“I… _what?_ ” Gwen stumbled, feet pattering the ground loud and unevenly, armor clinking. “How- _how_?”

“Good question.” Reyna cleared her throat. “Nico, is this some power of Pluto?”

Voice clear and steady, Nico shook his head and said, “Pluto never lets people return from the dead.”

 _Death loses its hold_ , a thundering voice boomed across the field, rolling like wind against the ground, grass fluttering. _This is only the beginning_.

Hannibal trumpeted and Scipio reared, almost sending Reyna and Nico flying off. Campers withdrew their weapons.

“I know that voice,” Percy said.

Fire burst in a column in the middle of the legion. Scipio whinnied angrily, rearing back. Steam hissed into the air. Nico went tense, heat searing the air around him. People scrambled backwards as a hulking figure emerged from the explosion.

The figure smelled richly of smoke and _blood_. They radiated a sense of violence that made Nico’s bones quake and sent his desire to punch Octavian in the face skyrocketing. Their blur was green.

Everyone, even Reyna, took a step back. Frank’s soul pulsed and moved forward. Moved forward again. Then dipped. A kneel. Steady, Reyna dismounted, helping Nico off before falling to one knee as the others did. Percy’s soul was the only one that remained high.

“That’s good,” the figure, _Ares, Mars_ , said. “Kneeling is good. It’s been a long time since I’ve visited Camp Jupiter.”

“You’re Ares,” Percy said. He sounded annoyed and unimpressed. “What do you want?”

Honestly, Nico was surprised Percy hadn’t been shot before now. A collective gasp went up from the legion and Hannibal seemed to make a low warning noise.

Thankfully, Ares, or _Mars_ , just laughed. “You’ve got spunk, demigod. Ares is my Greek form. But to these followers, to the children of Rome, I am Mars- patron of the empire, divine father of Romulus and Remus.”

“We’ve met,” Percy said, cutting in before Mars could go on and list his five thousand other attributes. “We… we had a fight…”

“I fight a lot people. But I assure you, you’ve never fought me as Mars. If you had, you’d be dead. Now, kneel, as befits a child of Rome before you try my patience,” Mars said. The stench of smoke sliced through the air as fire burst around his feet.

“Percy,” Frank muttered, “please.”

Percy knelt.

“Romans, lend me your ears!” Mars shouted before bursting into a hearty bellow that made Nico’s bones quake. “I’ve always wanted to say that.” _Why?_ Nico thought. “I come from Olympus with a message. Jupiter doesn’t like us communicating directly with mortals, especially nowadays, but he has allowed this exception, as you Romans have always been my special people. I’m only permitted to speak for a few minutes so listen up.

“This one-” And he was probably looking at Gwen, maybe even gesturing to her a little bit. “-should be dead, yet she’s not. The monsters you fight no longer return to Tartarus when they are slain. Some mortals who died long ago-” And Nico could feel the god glowering at him, his skin a little warmer as though Mars was trying to light him on fire too. Nico blinked innocently. “-are now walking the earth again.”

“Thanatos has been chained,” Mars went on. “The Doors of Death have been forced open and no one is policing them. At least not _impartially._ Gaea allows our enemies to pour forth into the world of mortals. Her sons, the giants, are mustering armies against you, armies that you will not be able to kill. Unless Death is unleashed to return to his duties, you will be overrun. You must Thanatos and free him from the giants. Only _he_ can reverse the tide.”

A minute went by in buzzing silence. “Oh, you can get up now.” He clapped his hands as everyone rose. Unease curled around them. “Any questions?”

“Lord Mars,” Reyna said as she approached him, “we are honored.”

“ _Beyond_ honored,” Octavian said. Nico kinda wanted to smack him. “So far beyond honored-”

“Well?” Mars snapped.

“Well,” Reyna began, “Thanatos is the god of death, the lieutenant of Pluto?”

 _The mistress of my step-mother_ , Nico thought on as he shifted slightly to stretch out the stiffness that had developed in his legs.

“Right,” Mars said.

“And you’re saying that he’s been captured by giants.”

“Right.”

“And therefore people will stop dying?”

“Not all at once,” Mars said. “But the barriers between life and death will continue to weaken. Those who know how to take advantage of this will exploit it. Monsters are already harder to dispatch. Soon they will be completely impossible to kill. Some demigods will also be able to find their way from the Underworld. Like your friend. Centurion Shish-kebab.”

“Centurion Shish-kebab?” Gwen said, offended and a little wounded.

“If left unchecked,” Mars droned on, ignoring her, “even mortals will eventually find it impossible to die. Can you imagine a world in which no one dies? _Ever_?”

“But, ah, mighty all-powerful Lord Mars, if we can’t die, isn’t that a good thing? If we can stay alive indefinitely-”

“Don’t be foolish, boy!” Mars shouted, whirling on Octavian so fast his soul spasmed a terrified black. Nico jolted back, scowling. Gods, he didn’t like sudden noise. “Endless slaughter with no conclusion? Carnage without any point? Enemies that rise again and again and can never be killed? Is that what you want?”

“You’re the god of war,” Percy said. “Don’t you want endless carnage?”

Mars’s soul seemed to turn even more a bloody red than it already was, oozing irritation. “Insolent, aren’t you? Perhaps I _have_ fought you before. I can understand why I’d want to kill you. I’m the god of Rome, child. I am the god of _military might_ used for a righteous cause! I protect the legions,” he hissed, voice growing deeper and darker with every world until the burned black and sour in the air. “I am happy to _crush_ my enemies underfoot but I don’t fight without reason. I don’t want war without end. You will discover this. You will serve me.”

“Not likely,” Percy said and Nico revisited the question of _how the fuck had Percy not been killed by now?_

It seemed luck was on his side however since Mars just chuckled like they were old friends. “I order a quest!” he announced. “You will go north and find Thanatos in the land beyond the gods. You will free him and thwart the plans of the giants. Beware Gaea! Beware her son, the eldest giant!”

“The land beyond the gods?” Hazel squeaked and her soul was rushing through a turmoil of panicking colours.

Reaching out, Nico tried to ease her down from her increasing panic, pushing a sense of _calm_ into her, as Mars stared her down. “That’s right, Hazel Levesque. You know what I mean.” He took a lumbering step back, footsteps seeming to rock the earth. “ _Everyone_ here remembers the land where the legion lost its honor! Perhaps if the quest succeeds and you return by the Feat of Fortuna… perhaps then your honor will be restored. If you don’t succeed, there won’t be any camp left to return to. Rome will be overrun, its legacy lost forever. So my advice is _don’t fail_.”

“Um, Lord Mars, just one tiny thing,” Octavian said. “A quest requires a prophecy, a mystical poem to guide us. We used to get them from the Sibylline books but now it’s up to the augur to glean the will of gods. “So if I could just run and get about seventy stuffed animals and possible a knife-”

“You’re the auger?>”

“Y-yes, my lord.”

“Anyone got a pen?” No one said anything. He sighed. “Two hundred Romans and _no one’s_ got a pen? Never mind!”

There was a thump of something and then people started shouting, stumbling back in fear. Lorrie hadn’t showed up and Hazel wasn’t pushing at him so Nico figured whatever it was, it wasn’t _entirely_ dangerous.

“There!” Mars said after a quick minute. He threw a white blob at Octavian. “A prophecy. You can add it to your books, engrave it on your floor, whatever.”

“This says, “Go to Alaska. Find Thanatos and free him. Come back by sundown June twenty-forth or die.”” Octavian said, sounding a little in disbelief that it wasn’t some dumb magical poem.

“Yes.” Mars clicked his teeth. “Is that not clear?”

“Well, my lord… usually prophecies are _unclear_. They’re wrapped in riddles. They rhyme and-”

Smoke burned in the air again. “Yes?”

“The prophecy is clear!” Octavian shouted quickly. “A quest!”

“Good answer. Now what else?” Mars mused. “There was something else… Oh. Yes.” He cleared his throat. “C’mere kid.”

A beat and then Frank moved, unwillingly but he moved. Nico winced in pity for him. This was not the father he would’ve wanted either. Frank’s soul, normally a pleasant green, had turned a squeamish orange, pulsing out a rhythmic “ _no no no no”_ that Nico couldn’t help feel sorry for.

“Nice job taking the wall, kid. Who’s the ref for this game?” Reyna raised her hand. “You see that play ref?” Mars snapped. “That was _my_ kid. First over the wall, won the game for his team. Unless you’re _blind-_ ” Nico could feel everyone’s eyes shifting over at him at the word. “-that was an MVP play. “You’re not blind, are you?”

“No, Lord Mars,” Reyna said, steady, but the quick flash of her soul from silver to yellow betrayed her nerves.

“Then make sure he gets the Mural Crown!” Mars demanded. “My kid, here!” he went on, as though making sure to knock it into all their heads. Frank’s soul turned a miserable white, so bright and sad, Nico had to blink and snap out of the view.

“Emily Zhang’s son,” Mars continued. “She was a good solider. Good woman. This kid Frank proved his stuff tonight. Happy late birthday, kid. Time you stepped up to a _real_ man’s weapon.”

He tossed Frank something that turned sleeker, thinner, _shinier,_ in the air. “The tip is a dragon’s tooth,” Mars said. “You haven’t learned to use your mom’s talents yet, have you? Well, that spear will give you some breathing room until you do. You get three charges out of it, so use it wisely.”

Mars stepped around Frank, looming over Reyna. “Now, my kid Frank Zhang is gonna lead the quest to free Thanatos, unless there are any objections?” No one said anything. Not that it mattered. Even without glimpsing at their souls, Nico could feel the envy and jealousy that radiated off of them, bitter and sour. “You can take two companions,” Mars went on after a moment passed. “Those are the rules. One of them needs to be this kid.”

Percy’s soul pounded, once, an annoyed purple.

“He’s gonna learn some respect for Mars on this trip or die trying. As for the second, I don’t care. Pick whomever you want. Have one of your senate debates. You all are good at those.” His soul flickered out then back again. Lightning crackled across the sky. “That’s my cue. Until next time Romans. Do not disappoint me!”

Reyna cleared her throat, body shifting. “ _Ave_ , Frank Zhang, son of Mars.”

The legion followed suit. Nico closed his eyes. It was obvious Frank would pick Hazel for his last teammate, as obvious as the sun. And that was… dangerous. Alaska was a bad place for Hazel and with her flashbacks as out of control as they were…

But, Nico figured, she’d be fine with Frank. She’d be okay. Nico closed his eyes tightly even as everyone began shifting around him.

_Please let her be okay._

* * *

 

“And you’re sure your dad isn’t gonna snatch me up for escaping once Death is released?” Gwen laughed nervously. “I mean, I _understand_ , but… I don’t really want to die again. Not when I’m just about to start school, you know?”

Nico shook his head, shifting forward with her as the line moved up. “No, you should be okay. Dad understands that these are… _special_ circumstances and with Thanatos gone and you not knowing it at the time, he doesn’t _completely_ consider it cheating.” He smiled wryly. “Just don’t try to run off next time you die. He’ll definitely put you in for a couple of years of Punishment then.”

She relaxed, bumping her arm against his. “Okay, cool. I’ll keep that in mind.”

They hit the front of the line. “Gwendolyn, senator, Fifth Cohort, yes,” Terminus said. “Nico di Angelo, son of Pluto, very well.” The white blob in front of him sighed wearily. “I don’t suppose you brought a cane that _doesn’t_ carry a weapon this time around, Mr. di Angelo?”

“No, I don’t suppose I did,” Nico said.

Terminus sighed deeply. “Well, step to the side then. Julia!” The little girl peeked out from behind him as Reyna stepped forward. “Reyna, praetor, of course.” Reyna stepped through the gates and he called out for Julia again. “Where did that girl go?”

Julia scurried over, giggling rapidly. The white blob blurred. “Ah hah! There you are!” She giggled again. “Go get Mr. di Angelo a non-weapon cane, please. Shoo.” Julia squealed and ducked around the statue again. Nico imagined Terminus shooting him a dirty look as he said, dry, “This could easily be avoided if you carried a _normal_ cane with you.”

Nico shrugged as Terminus ushered Hank through, complimenting his shoes. “Why would I need two?”

“So you can get through the gate,” Terminus muttered darkly.

“Or maybe you should just keep accessible materials on your person,” Nico said, trading his sword-cane for the bright pink one Julia brandished happily at him. “It’s rude to hold _me_ responsible just because _you_ can’t be bothered to make things accessible to the disabled and handicapped. That’s ableist behavior, Terminus. You should be ashamed of yourself.”

Nico left him sputtering, hearing Hazel laugh, Frank snort and Julia giggle behind him.

“Wait, Nico!” Percy shouted and Nico stilled on instinct, just inside the boundary. He glanced back just as Terminus started yelling at Percy for trying to get through the gates with a weapon in his pocket. He was about to move again when _something_ yanked on his soul.

Scowling, he stayed put.

“Of all the indignity!” Terminus snapped. “Julia, bring out the tray!”

Julia ducked behind the statue again, holding out the tray at Percy. “Leave it here. You can pick it up on the way out,” Terminus said. “Julia will take good care of it. She’s a trained professional.”

“Pro-fess-ion-al,” Julia pronounced carefully, like she’d been practicing it for a while.

“Um, thing is,” Percy said nervously, “the pen returns to my pocket automatically, so even if I give it up-”

“Not to worry,” Terminus assured him. “We’ll make sure it doesn’t wander off. Won’t we, Julia?”

“Yes, Mr. Terminus.”

Percy dropped his pen into the tray.

Nico scratched his arm while Terminus explained the rules of New Rome, tuning the conversation out until Hazel squeezed his arm. He jolted a little before grinning at her.

“I love it when you do that to him,” she laughed.

“It is fun,” Nico agreed. “Annoying but fun.”

“Is he always like that?” Percy asked, slipping into place beside Nico, who tensed.

“No,” Hazel admitted. “Today he was laid-back. Usually he’s more obsessive-compulsive.”

“He inhabits every boundary stone around the city,” Frank said behind them. “Kind of our last line of defense if they city’s attacked.”

“Terminus isn’t so bad. Just don’t make him angry or he’ll force you to measure every blade of grass in the valley,” Hazel added

Percy snorted. “Okay. And the kid? Julia?”

Hazel’s soul turned a happy orange. “Yeah, she’s a cutie. Her parents live in the city.” She whistled low, checking the time before squeezing Nico’s arm. “Come on. We’d better catch up to the senators.”

Before Nico could rush along with them, Percy caught his wrist, offering out his arm. “Here.”

“Uh, thanks,” Nico muttered, tucking his hand in the crook of Percy’s elbow and letting him guide him along to the forum. His mind was abuzz with nerves. Percy was taking in Nico’s size and gait like it was already nature to him, like he’d already known how to shift Nico around.

Like he’d done it before.

Which he _had_ but no one else was supposed to know that.

When they hit the doors, Nico, dropped his hand, shrugged around them and slipped inside quickly before anyone could notice them and get suspicious ideas.

So basically Octavian.

Nico dropped into the last seat on the edge of the front row beside Gwen. Octavian stood up front, a knife glittering in one hand and a bluish blob in the other. Ghosts lingered in the upper row, amongst a few older and _living_ veterans from the city. Reyna walked to the podium.

“Right, this is an emergency meeting,” she said. “We won’t stand on formalities.”

“I love formalities,” a ghost whined.

Reyna clicked her teeth. “First of all, we’re not here to vote on the quest itself. The quest has been issued by Mars Ultor, patron of Rome. We will obey his wished. Nor are we here to debate the choice of Frank Zhang’s companions.”

“All three from the Fifth Cohort?” Hank yelled. “That’s not fair.”

“And not smart,” somebody called out, Dave or Joe or something simple like that. “We _know_ the Fifth will mess up. They should take somebody _good._ ”

Nico closed his eyes, reclining back a bit as he tuned this part out. He kept an ear out for Hazel’s name, ready to give anyone a massive shove if anyone tried to sully her. It wasn’t good behavior in the long run, dangerous to ignore what was most likely a very important meeting, but having had experience learning to take in the sounds of the outside world, filtering what he wanted to pay attention to and what was necessary to hear, it was pretty easy.

He surely wouldn’t lose out on any information, that’s for sure.

Case in point when Reyna’s voice deepened. “How do you know this, Hazel? Because you’re a child of Pluto?”

Nico stood, slow, so he could rally the information of what had passed in his head before talking. Gwen stepped down and Frank became centurion. They mentioned heading forth for Alaska. Talked about unchaining Thanatos.

Giant. Alcyoneus.

Fully risen, Nico locked his cane in front of him, eyes focused forward at nothing. “Praetor, if I may, Hazel and I… we learned a little about the giants from our father. Each giant was bred specifically to oppose one of the twelve Olympian gods. The king of giant was Porphyrion, the anti-Jupiter. But the _eldest_ giant was Alcyoneus. He was born to oppose Pluto. That’s why we know of him in particular.”

“Indeed?” Reyna said, suspicions alive in her voice. “You sound _quite_ familiar with him.

Nico leveled his eyes at her, knowing he was looking directly at her, not into her eyes but close enough to make her soul tense and constrict. He glanced away again, picking at the edges of his toga. “ _Anyway…_ the giants were hard to kill. According to prophecy, they could only be defeated by gods and demigods working together.”

Dakota belched. Nico grimaced. “Sorry, did you say gods and demigods… like fighting side by side? That could never happen!”

“It _has_ happened,” Nico said, rolling his eyes. “In the first giant war, the gods called on heroes just to join them and they were victorious. Whether it could happen again, I don’t know. But with Alcyoneus...” Nico sighed. “ _He_ was different. He was completely immortal, impossible to kill by god or demigod as long as he remained in his home territory. The place where he was born.” He paused for a minute, letting it sink in. “And if Alcyoneus has been reborn in Alaska-”

“Then he can’t be defeated there,” Hazel finished morosely. “Ever. By any means. Which is why our nineteen 0eighties expedition was doomed to fail.

“Discourse broke out amongst the senators and ghosts.

“The quest is impossible!” someone shouted.

“We’re doomed!” one ghost yelled.

“More Kool-Aid!” Dakota demanded.

“SILENCE!” Reyna called. The shouting dimmed immediately. “Senators, we must act like Romans. Mars has given us this quest and we have to believe it _is_ possible. These three demigods must travel to Alaska. They must free Thanatos and return before the Feast of Fortuna.  If they can retrieve the lost eagle in the process, so much the better. All we can do is advise them and make sure they have a plan.”

She cleared her throat. “You _do_ have a plan?”

“Er, first I need to understand something,” Percy said. Nico didn’t really know why Reyna was talking to him. Wasn’t Frank leader? Maybe she wasn’t and Percy just wanted something cleared up. “Nico. I thought Pluto was the god of the dead. Now I hear about this other guy, Thanatos, and the Doors of Death from that prophecy- the Prophecy of Seven. What does all that mean?”

Nico took a deep breath. “Okay. Pluto is the god of the Underworld _but_ the actual god of death is Thanatos, the one who’s responsible for making sure go to the afterlife and stay there- that’s Pluto’s lieutenant, Thanatos. He’s like… well, imagine Life and Death are two different countries. Everybody would like to be in Life, right? So there’s a guarded border to keep people from crossing back over without permissions. But it’s a _big_ border, with lots of holes in the fence. Pluto tries to seal up the breaches but new ones keeping popping up all the time. That’s why he depends on Thanatos, who’s like the border patrol, the police.”

“Thanatos catches souls,” Percy said, “and deports them back to the Underworld.”

Nico nodded. “Exactly. But now Thanatos has been captured. Chained up,”

Behind Nico, Frank cleared his throat, wanting to step in. Nico paused, gestured to the side and rolled his wrist.

“Uh, how do you chain Death?” Frank asked.

“It’s been done before,” Nico said. “In the old days, a guy named Sisyphus tricked Death and tied him up. Another time, Hercules wrestled him to the ground.” _Which is why he likes to watch Sisy suffer and why he gave me a three hour lecture on why Hercules is a massive dick,_ Nico thought wearily. He didn’t really want to hear Thanatos’s thoughts on Alcyoneus this time around.

That would be extensive.

“And now a giant has captured him,” Percy said. “So if we could free Thanatos, then the dead would stay dead.” An awkward silence filtered through his pause. “Um… no offense.”

“It’s more complicated than that.”

Octavian huffed. “Why does _that_ not surprise me?”

Nico swallowed his intense desire to slap Octavian as Reyna said, “You mean the Doors of Death. They are mentioned in the Prophecy of Seven, which sent the first expedition to Alaska-”

Some ghost snorted. “We all know how that turned out! We Lares remember!”

The rest of the ghosts grumbled loudly in agreement.

Narrowing his eyes, Nico pressed a finger to his lips, smirking when they all went silent. After a beat, he dropped his hand and explained, “Thanatos is only part of the solution. The Doors of Death…. Well, that’s a concept even I don’t _completely_ understand. There are many ways into the Underworld- the River Styx, the Door of Orpheus, for example. Plus smaller escape routes that open up from time to time. With Thanatos imprisoned, all those exits will be easier to use. Sometimes it might work to our advantage and let a friendly soul come back, like Gwen here.”

He gestured to Gwen, meant to pat her back or shoulder but accidentally smacked the side of her head. “Sorry.” He cleared his throat, continuing. “Anyway, more often than not, it will benefit evil souls and monsters, the sneaky ones who are looking to escape. Now, the Doors of Death, those are the _personal_ doors of Thanatos. His “fast lane” between Life and Death. Only Thanatos is supposed to know where they are and the location shifts over the ages. If I understand correctly, the Doors of Death have been forced open. Gaea’s minions have seized control of them-”

“Which means Gaea controls who can come back from the dead,” Percy guessed morosely.

Nico nodded. “She can pick and choose who to let out. The worst monsters. The most evil souls. _If_ we rescue Thanatos, that means at least he can catch souls again and send them below. Monsters will die when we kill them, like they used to, and we’ll get a little breathing room. _But_ unless we’re able to retake the Doors of Death, our enemies won’t stay down for long. They’ll have an easy way back to the world of the living.”

“So we can catch them and deport them but they’ll just keep coming back across.”

“In a depressing nutshell,” Nico said, “yes.”

“But Thanatos knows where the doors are, right?” Frank asked. His voice edged a hopeful tone. “If we free him, he can retake them.”

Nico frowned. “I don’t think so. Not alone, anyway. He’s no match for Gaea. That would take a massive quest… an army of the best demigods.”

“ _Foes bear arms to the Doors of Death_ ,” Reyna recited. Her tone fell dead. “That’s the Prophecy of Seven.” She swallowed thickly, loud in the thrumming silence of the room. “If this begins the ancient prophecy, we don’t have resources to send an army to these Doors of Death _and_ protect the camp. I can’t imagine even sparing seven demigods-”

“First things first,” Percy cut in. His voice leaked a desperate confidence. “I don’t know who the seven are or what that old prophecy means exactly, but first we have to free Thanatos. Mars told us we only needed three people for the quest to Alaska. Let’s concentrate on succeeding with that and getting back before the Feast of Fortuna.” He gave an awkward “ _we can do it”_ laugh. “ _Then_ we can worry about the Doors of Death.”

“Yeah,” Frank said weakly. “That’s probably enough for one week.”

“So you do have a plan,” Octavian asked skeptically.

“We go to Alaska as fast possible-” Percy began.

“And we improvise,” Hazel finished.

“A lot,” Frank added.

Nico settled back into his seat, listening with one ear while Octavian tried to limit the amount of supplies they deserved on the quest.

The chance of them getting back from Alaska _by_ the Feast of Fortuna was minimal. Fifty-fifty _at best_. But maybe… maybe while they were gone, if he could locate the Doors himself, the need to be back before then would be irrelevant. Maybe he could spare them some time. The Doors only changed location every fifty years, according to Thanatos.

And besides he’d discovered harder things than this.

Maybe he could find the Doors.

Maybe he could help.

* * *

 

Despite the warm breeze, Hazel was shivering. It was something she did and he didn’t know if she’d ever noticed it before. A side effect from being buried alive in dirt and ice, probably. A side effect of death.

“Are you staying?” she asked, even though they both knew she already knew what the answer would be. “To help defend the camp?”

Nico shook his head, curving a hand over her own. “No. I have to leave today.” He squeezed her hand gently and let go. “Dad needs all the help he can get. The Fields of Punishment sound like a prison riot. The Furies can barely keep order. Besides...” He licked his lips nervously, dropping his voice. “I’m going to try to track some of the escaping souls. Maybe I can find the Doors of Death from the other side.”

Hazel grabbed his arm. Her voice shook. “Be careful. If Gaea is guarding those doors-”

“Don’t worry.” Nico smiled. “I know how to stay hidden. Just take care of yourself. The closer you get to Alaska…” He paused, frowning slightly and leaning in close enough to feel her breath warm against his face. “I’m not sure if it’ll make the blackouts better or worse.”

Hazel snorted, knocking her forehead against his chin. She curled into his chest and he wrapped his arms around her, fiercely tight. A second and a half later, she stepped away. “If- if we free Thanatos,” she began ruefully, “I may never see you again. Thanatos will send me back to the Underworld…”

Nico shook his head, taking her hand. He locked his fingers between her and smiled softly. “I wanted to give you a chance at Elysium,” he said. He swallowed, the feeling thick and dry. “That was the best I could do for you. But now, I wish there was another way.” His thin smile shook. “I don’t want to lose my sister.”

 _Not again_ , he thought.

Hazel let out a quiet, stifled sob, letting go of his hand to swing her arms around his neck. This time around, he curled into her, wanting to wrap her up and never let go in the same way he’d wished he’d done with Bianca.

Bianca.

They would’ve liked each other. His sisters and him.

He closed his eyes and pulled back slight enough to kiss the top of her head.

“Good luck, Hazel,” he said easing out of her grip.

Then he turned and melted into the shadows, hearing the beckoning call of the Underworld reaching out to him.

* * *

 

**The Mark of Athena**

Nico gasped for the third time, clawing vaguely at the glass walls. The air swarmed around his head again.

A death trance wasn’t… wasn’t _good._ For obvious reasons, like that he could actually _die_ while stuck in one, but also because his whole body stopped and waking up after one felt like the _end_. His functions were still marred and it took him a while to snap out of it enough to blindly claw at the ground, grabbing his third seed and shoving it into his mouth.

He slumped against the wall, huddled up into himself while he chewed. When nothing remained but the tasteless seed, he spat it out. With dejected strength, he heaved his sword up. One hand pressed against the walls, he ran his fingertips over until he found the second tally mark, slashing hard beside it.

The downside to the seeds were basically the same as a standard drug. The longer you took them, the more often you too them, the less they’d work in small quantities. So far, he’d been lucky. His system hadn’t adjusted to it yet. If his luck continued, they’d keep up as was usual. A seed for a day.

A day for a seed.

And when five more days had passed over, he’d be out of seeds and him and stupid luck would choke to death on stale air.

 _What a fine end for the son of Hades,_ he thought bitterly. He squeezed his eyes closed for a moment, briefly shutting out the ghostly purple glow his sword emitted from where it clattered beside him.

The sludge of death was easing into his veins already. Dryly, he swallowed, curling into himself some more. His eyelid fell shut without his permission. He was weak, dying. His body felt like paper, mouth like sand. Somewhere in the deep recess of his mind, he wondered if anyone would come for him.

The cold digged into his skin, snapping at his bones. He slumped.

Someone would come for him.

 _Ha_ , he thought, body slipping into a state of paralysis. _They’d all just let me die_.

* * *

 

Nico was only vaguely aware of the clean air that sliced his lungs as he began to wake. He didn’t really care for it. The ropes of sleeping death still bound him, pulling on his muscles. Tired and exhausted, all he really wanted to do was rest more.

It was hard to do with all the yelling going on.

Blearily, he blinked awake, aware of the vague blur standing above him. _Giants_ , he thought. He tuned on the other souls in the room. _Percy. Jason_. He paused. He didn’t recognize the third one but it was obviously a demigod so he blinked a little more and didn’t think much of it.

Nico swallowed, trying to shove urgency into his chest. Not that it worked much. He didn’t know where the fuck he going much less how the hell he was going to get out. The giants had dolled the room up in so much shine, it was burning his eyes.

Still, he shifted to his stomach and did a vague sweep of the room. No souls ahead of him. He started crawling, the movements slow and sluggish. He stopped to groan a little, resting his face on the coolness of the ground.

Gods, he was tired.

Then the ground opened up beside him. He blinked, squinting at the sudden hole. “Wha-” Behind him, flames crackled, roaring heat at the base of his skinny legs, and some beasts growled. He could’ve just given up right then and there because, no, he’d been stuck in a fucking jar for the last week. They could deal with all this shit themselves and just let him _die_.

Then the other demigod, the one he knew but couldn’t quite name, yelled out his name and shot out in front of him. The smell of _food_ wrenched in the air and his stomach ached so badly, he curled up into a ball and groaned.

“Duck and cover!” Percy yelled from somewhere and then things _exploded_.

Nico could’ve slapped him. Right across that smug, _beaut_ \- Nope.

Around him, things were falling, landing heavy with force he’d knew could crush him in one blow. The demigod he didn’t know was trying to pull him to safety but something caught them and they went down in a single blow.

“Piper!” Jason yelled.

Okay. Piper. Bleary, Nico tried to push himself up. When he’d finally managed it, he squinted at the scene around him. Catching sight of both giants reforming, a couple of hyenas snarling over something and a whole mess of pyrotechnics, he wondered if it was too late to fake dead and go back to sleep.

His ears were ringing with the screams of the battle, his mind still half-stuck in the death trance, so he was only the slightest bit aware that things were happening and overly confused as to the whereabouts of his sword.

And then Mr. D showed up.

And then Nico was sitting in the emperor’s box of the actual Colosseum being offered grapes and Doritos by a crouching satyr. Beside him, Piper was being tended to by a nymph. Once her shoulder was bandaged up, the nymph turned to him and began tutting loudly, like somehow _he’d_ disappointed _her_ by being tortured and shoved into a jar.

She reached out to touch him and he recoiled away, easing into the back of his seat until there was no more room left.

He was tired of people touching him.

A ragged thought of Gaea’s forces swarming down on him, pulling at his skin and laughing when his arm broke shot through him. He trembled. Nearly kicked the nymph when she reached out for him again. Finally she gave up, throwing a bar of ambrosia at him and storming off to fiddle with Piper.

“She was trying to help,” Piper said, voice barely noticeable above the sounds of the fight below them.

“I don’t need it,” Nico hissed, his voice hoarse. Curling into himself, he nibbled on the ambrosia, just enough to snap him a little more awake, and listened to the fight.

Help was for suckers. People who weren’t aware that every _thing_ and every _one_ wanted to tear you to shreds. Would be willing to if you let them.

Nico squeezed his eyes shut.

His mind was still locked and loaded in despair, ready to fucking kill him at any moment. Let open the gates of literal _Hell_ and drown him.

He inhaled raggedly and listened to the fight die down, felt Piper touch the side of his arm, once and fleetingly, before following her lead. She helped him down to the ground. The chatter of voices thundered in his skull. He could make out Hazel’s in the crowd and reacted to it, instinctively shifting towards her.

She slung an arm around his shoulders and he curled into the contact, needy, desperate. The floor shook below them. “Let’s talk on board,” Hazel suggested, shifting. Nico moved with her. “We better take off while we can.”

* * *

 

Hazel was force-feeding him nectar and ambrosia. It was sweet, though he had to quietly shove her away when he could feel his skin burn hot. As he finished off his story, she tucked a strand of hair behind his ear. “How are you?”

He laughed hoarsely, the sound falling flat against the rough glide of his voice. “I think I’ll live.”

She pressed her lips to his top of head, running her fingers over his face like she wasn’t sure if he was real or not. With the death trance still clinging to his bones and muscles, he wasn’t too sure if he was real or not either.

“Next time,” she started. She swallowed and leaned into him. “Next time, don’t go alone.”

“Okay,” he mumbled.

She squeezed his shoulder softly before pulling away. “Guys, I hate to interrupt your admiration session but you should hear this.”

She helped Nico to his feet, let him lean on her, on arm tucked around his waist. He licked his lips and glanced around the group, putting names to blurry faces and bright souls. He didn’t recognize two, one human and orange, the other monster and gray.

“Thank you,” he said, rasping. “I’d… given up hope.”

“You knew about the two camps all along,” Percy said, sounding like he was trying to muster anger into his voice but falling far from it. Mostly he just conveyed _pity_. And _worry_. “You could’ve told me who I was the first day I arrive at Camp Jupiter. But you didn’t.”

Nico shook his head, eyes dropping. “I discovered Camp Jupiter last year. My dad led me there, though I wasn’t sure why. He told me the gods had kept the camp separate for centuries and that I couldn’t tell anyone. The time wasn’t right. But he said it would be important for me to know-” His vision blurred a little while he erupted into a massive coughing fit.

Hazel gripped him until he could stand again. His ears still felt stuffy. It messed with his hearing, making everything sound like it was passing through the ocean, watery and fuzzed.

Weakly, he pushed a hand through his hair and grimaced. “I… I thought Dad meant because of Hazel,” he continued “I’d need a safe place to take her. But now… I think he wanted me to know about both camps so I’d understand how important you quest was and so I’d search for the Doors of Death.”

At the words, electricity sparked off Jason in small bursts, turning the air stale with a metallic taste. “Did you find them?” Percy asked.

Nico winced, nodding. “I was a fool. I thought I could go anywhere in the Underworld but I walked right into Gaea’s trap. I might as well have tried running from a black hole.”

“Um,” Frank started. “What kind of black hole are you talking about?”

The hole. Screaming. Being yanked into it. Gaea’s laughter, rich and hearty, swarming around him, teasing him.

 _Tartarus_.

His voice shuddered out him in an ungodly squawk, torn. Hazel, pressing a hand to his chest, explained for him. “Nico told me that the Doors of Death have two sides- one in the mortal world, on in the Underworld. The _mortal_ side of the portal is in Greece. It’s heavily guarded by Gaea’s forces. That’s where they brought Nico back into the upper world. Then they transported him to Rome.”

“Where exactly in Greece is this doorway?” Piper asked.

“The House of Hades,” Nico breathed. His legs quaked. “It’s an underground temple in Epirus. I can mark it on a map but-” He swallowed. “-but the mortal side of the portal isn’t the problem. In the Underworld, the doors of Death are in… in…”

Dread slid up his spine, freezing. It slid into his skin and itched, warping him until he was _empty_.

“Tartarus,” Percy finished and Nico shivered at the word, ready to scatter. “The deepest part of the Underworld.”

Nico squeezed his eyes shut. “They. Pulled me into the pit, Percy. The _things_ I heard- the things that _happened_ down there…” His voice broke off, faint but sharp.

The air had grown silent enough to hear a pin drop. Hazel rubbed his back. “No mortal has ever been to Tartarus. At least, no one has ever gone in and returned alive. It’s the maximum-security prison of Hades, where the old Titans and the other enemies of the gods are bound. It’s where all monsters go when they die on earth. It’s-” She paused for a moment. “Well no one knows exactly what it’s like.”

He could feel their eyes baring into him, their thoughts flashing at him, one mass collective: _Except for Nico_.

He squeezed his eyes shut, shouldering out from Hazel and she passed him his sword. Under his grip, it morphed into a cane and he swallowed, comforted by its presence. “Now I understand why Hades hasn’t been able to close the doors,” he said. “Even the gods don’t go into Tartarus. Even Thanatos won’t go near that place.”

“So let me guess,” one of them said, the human soul he didn’t recognize. “We’ll have to go there.”

Nico shook his head, breathing in deep. “It’s impossible. I’m the son of Hades and even I barely survived. Gaea’s forced overwhelmed me instantly. They’re so powerful down there,” he said. “No demigod would stand a chance. I almost went insane.”

“So we sail for Epirus,” Percy suggested. “We’ll just close the doors on this side.”

“I wish it were that easy,” Nico mumbled, voice grave. “The doors would have to be controlled on both sides to be closed. It’s like a double seal. Maybe all of you working together could defeat Gaea’s forces on the _mortal_ side at the House of Hades but unless you had a team fighting simultaneous on the Tartarus side, a team powerful enough to defeat a legion of monsters in their home territory-”

“There has to be a way,” Jason insisted.

Nobody offered any bright ideas and the fact was, even if they managed to get someone down there to close the doors, there’d almost be _no_ way for them to get back. The doors would immediately vanish and reform in a new spot and there’d be no doubt that Thanatos would set them to reform in new areas multiple times a year, rather than once every fifty or so years.

It was hopeless. Nico sagged, wearily shutting his eyes.

It was all hopeless.

* * *

 

Evidently, Leo, as he was apparently called, didn’t know the meaning of hopeless, firing a ballistae through the ceiling of the building where Annabeth was supposedly trapped, rescuing her just in the nick of time.

With the others, Nico swarmed around her, listening while she explained what happened. Part of him recoiled from the tug of Tartarus but was heavily ignored by the part that was intensely focused on Annabeth’s voice, trying to pretend like pain and torment wasn’t edging into him just by being within walking distance of the pit.

Percy walked her through his story of rescuing Nico and the fight with the twin giants at the Colosseum, stopping to explain what Nico had discovered about the Doors of Death.

“So the mortal side is in Epirus,” Annabeth said. “At least that’s somewhere we can reach,”

Nico grimaced. “But the other side is the problem. Tartarus.”

As though wanting to note its presence, cold air flushed from the looming pit and Nico went still with trepidation, every bit of him urging to flee. He shifted away from them, walking just a little faster, still weak and wishing he’d stayed on the boat.

And then everything went to hell.

His brain fell sideways, snapping away from him in the briefest moments while he worked on autopilot. When he snapped to, he was hovering over the pit, one hand thrust out to Percy and Annabeth, whose souls were dangling in the unforgiving darkness.

“The other side, Nico!” Percy was shouting. “We’ll see you there! Understand?”

“But-”

“Lead them there! Promise me!”

Nico swallowed, weak, scared.

Terrified.

“I- I will!”

And then he watched as their souls tumbled away from him, falling, falling into the black recess of Tartarus.

* * *

 

“It’s my fault.”

Nico’s mind buzzed to harshly to hear whatever else Leo had to say, whether an explanation or not, and his heart was too busy _pounding_ for him to hear Hazel’s response. Copper filled his mouth, rusted and poisonous. The air around him felt stale. Like he was trapped in the jar again.

Why in the world would Leo think that this was _his_ fault? Obviously it was Nico’s. He’d been right there. Right there and still not close enough.

It was _his_ fault. Nico’s.

No one else’s.

He ruined everything he came close to and seemed to _kill_ everyone he cared about.

Percy was going to die.

Annabeth was going to die.

The quest would fail.

The world would end.

He squeezed his eyes shut and _looked_. Searched harder than he ever had before. Until sweat dewed at the back of his neck and perspired in the pit of his arms. Until the world was static and stale.

Until he found them.

Finally, relaxing a bit, pulling back into himself, he shuffled over to the turmoiled pulse of Leo’s soul and leaned on his cane. “Leo, they’re not dead. If they were, I’d feel it.”

“How can you be sure?” Leo’s soul curled sourly, a deep scared blue. “If that pit really led to… you know... how could you sense them so far away?”

Without thinking, Nico turned to Hazel. He could feel her watching him. He gave a tug on her soul. She prodded his then pinched it. He frowned, shoulders sagging. He didn’t know what his own soul was doing or even if she could properly see it, her powers leaning _heavily_ to the wealth side of their father’s domain. Just teaching her how to pull on his soul to garner his attention at a distance has been stressful and full of complications.

Either way, whether by his face or by his soul, she seemed to understand. Her voice slid just the faintest bit away as she turned to Leo. “We can’t be one hundred percent sure,” she admitted. “But I think Nico is right. Percy and Annabeth are still alive…” She trailed off, an audible swallow gulping loud in the air. “At least, so far.”

Jason sparked. Something in his area hit hard enough to _clang_ and sing into the air. A metal railing perhaps. “I should’ve been _paying attention._ I could have flown down and the saved them.”

Most likely not. The pull of the pit, of Tartarus, was impossible to escape once it had you.

Nico didn’t get the change to voice this before Frank moaned, hand muffling his voice, “Me too.” He sounded on the verge of tears and Nico didn’t have it in him to ask Frank what he meant by that.

“It’s not your fault, either or you,” Piper soothed from beside Jason. “You were trying to save the statue.”

“Piper’s right,” Nico said. “Even if the pit hadn’t been buried, you couldn’t have flown into it without being pulled down too.” He swallowed thickly, a fully built wall propped up against his memories and shielding him from the assault. “I’m the only one who has actually been into Tartarus. It’s impossible to describe how powerful that place is. Once you get close, it sucked you in.” He fisted his hands on the handle of his cane. “I never stood a chance.”

Frank sniffled. “Then Percy and Annabeth don’t stand a chance either.”

Nico twisted his ring, feeling along all he ridges of the skull. Holed eyes. Dips where the teeth were molded. A dent along the top where he’d accidentally bashed it into a wall. Hope failed in his voice but he tried anyway. “Percy is the most powerful demigod I’ve ever met. No offense to you guys but it’s true. If anyone can survive, he will. Especially if he’d got Annabeth at his side. They’re going to find a way through Tartarus.”

“To the Doors of Death, you mean,” Jason said. His soul boiled a nervous black. “But you told us its guarded by Gaea’s most powerful forces. How could two demigods possibly-”

“I don’t know,” Nico cut in. Exhaustion snapped at him. He wanted to rest. He wanted to stop talking, _stop_ thinking and just sleep. “But Percy told me to lead you all to Epirus, to the mortal side of the doorway. He’s planning on meeting us there. If we can survive the House of Hades, fight our way through Gaea’s forces then maybe we can work together with Perc y and Annabeth and seal the Doors of Death from both sides.”

“And get Percy _and_ Annabeth back safely?” Leo asked.

Nico glanced down so they couldn’t see the hopelessness in his face. “Maybe.”

Unease tensed through all of them, the uncertainty of his response understood and feared.

Nico took a deep breath. “I don’t know how they’ll manage it but Percy and Annabeth will find a way.” He tried to instill hope in his words. Confidence. “They’ll journey through Tartarus and find the Doors of Death.” He glanced up, looking at no one but barreling down on all their souls so his words would ring loud and clear. “When they do, we have to be ready.”

And when they made it to Epirus and all the fighting was done, Nico was going to disappear. He closed his eyes, let the crew talk amongst themselves, let them plan while he slumped against a wall. The constant fighting was beginning to drain him and what he’d gone through, what Gaea’s forces had _done_ to him…

After this, the gods could fend for themselves. Nico wasn’t having it anymore. He didn’t _ask_ to be a demigod. He didn't ask to be nearly killed everyday, fighting for a group of people who barely gave a shit. He didn't ask for any of this. Even when he was ten years old and in love with the idea of the gods and Mythomagic was his life, he never once dreamed of any of this.

And right now, he just wanted to _live._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so next is obviously gonna be HoH but! I'm participating in Nano this year again and I've also got another fic for a different fandom that I'm trying to push out by the end of the year (Voltron, if anyone's curious but like all my fics for it are fluff porn just fyi and this one's def gonna be too) and I'll have my finals during December so hopefully I'll have the HoH out by February? Maybe sooner if I work regularly on it over my Christmas break but the middle of Feb should be a good deadline since it takes me a while to write and Nico's pretty involved in HoH (according to my memory anyway).
> 
> I would add it to Nano (especially since I'm technically going to be working on two stories for that) but seeing as its just a rewrite and not actually a story I've planned myself, I don't feel comfortable doing that because it'd feel like cheating.
> 
> Anyway! I'm up for requests/prompts any time on [tumblr](http://happyk44.tumblr.com) and I hope y'all are doing good. I'll see you next in Feb!


	5. Author's Note

**-2/15/17-**

EDIT: OKAY SO DUE TO TIME CONSTRAINTS, LACK OF ENERGY AND OTHER SHIZ, I'VE HAD TO SET THE DATE FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER BACK TO MAY 31st!

Sorry, sorry!! But, this does give any one who wants to time to send me their BOO scene(s)~

Please note that I do keep the people following my tumblr updated on my writing schedule so if you'd like to stay abreast of current and future projects, please consider following me. I tend to forget to update people on this end about the fact that things will be set back or left unfinished simply because I'm not totally used to posting multichapter updates any more. (And I'm slightly paranoid about the amount of people who actually read my work so sometimes I don't completely think its worthwhile to mention anything. :P)

So yes! The new chapter date is May 31st. Sorry for anyone who was looking forward to seeing it this month.

* * *

 

Okay so not actually a chapter

 

Just a quick note that I've decided that I won't be doing the Blood of Olympus is its entirety. It's too long and I don't feel like rewriting every ounce of Nico's POV, not to mention other people's view of  _him_. So instead, I will be writing _at least_ FIVE scenes from BOO that feature Nico.

 

Now, I know I'm  _definitely_ going to rewrite that scene where he ghostifies that one guy but any other scene, I'm not sure because BoO wasn't exactly my favourite book and I just don't have the time to reread it, especially when I won't feel too interested in doing so.

 

SO! That's where you lovely readers come in.

 

Please feel free to leave me an ask at my tumblr, [happyk44.tumblr.com/ask](happyk44.tumblr.com/ask), of the top five scenes from BoO that you think should be featured in the Blood of Olympus chapter. You can leave as many scenes as you want (it doesn't have to be five) but just know that I will be sticking to about five scenes. Once I finish rewriting HoH and post it, I will be replacing this note with that chapter so please get your requests in!

 

Once again, as I stated last chapter, I will be trying to post HoH sometime in February. NANO is winding down but my exams are popping up so over my Christmas break I will definitely be getting into it. I'll see you guys again in Feb! :D


	6. The House of Hades

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this a little (and also a lot) late and I'm super sorry! In my defense, I legit put this off until the last three days and most of what I had to write last night was dialogue (which is tedious and boring) and I got winded right into the fourth hour.
> 
> And then I realized that in order to fix a certain scene in BoO (which I already started rewriting in my head), I should add in my own scene which really made things go over time, but I do hope you guys enjoy it!

“Left!” Lorrie yelled somewhere to Nico’s right. A chill ran through his body as she yelped and ducked through him. “Hard to port!”

“Hard to port!” he echoed.

Seconds later, he was crashing to the ground, Lorrie screeching at him. His back screamed with her. Splinting wood jabbed into his side and he groaned.

“Nico!” Hazel called out to him.

“I’m fine,” he muttered, kicking the canvas off his legs.

She grabbed him and they stumbled forward. Nico huddled the edge of the ship’s rim while Hazel’s blur shifted vaguely, glimpsing over the edge. No doubt she was looking out for the rock gods, or _numina montanum_ as Jason kept insisting they were called. _Ourae_ , the Greek wording, sounded better in Nico’s opinion but he might’ve been a little biased there.

Nico may not have been able to see them clearly, especially through the heavy fog that lingered all around them, but the giant blur of stark white and sinister energy kept bellowing at them so he had some idea of where they were in the storm.

“Stupid rock gods!” Leo yelled. “That’s the _third_ time I’ve had to replace that mast! You think they grow on trees?”

Nick frowned. “Masts _are_ from trees.”

“That’s not the point!” Leo snapped before he gave an exaggerated _grunt_.

Something clacked open, the sound shuddering from the deck. Cold hands clamped over Nico’s ears, Lorrie muttering up a storm of angry curses and Hazel ducked in close to Nico’s chest, her hands clamped over her own ears. The bursting boom of a cannon still sounded heavy and loud in Nico’s ears. His head spun with the noise.

In the sky, greenish blurs melted into the grayed clouds and billowing fog. Seconds later, a momentous explosion curled in the air. Following on its heels were the angered roars of the mountain gods. Leo let out a triumph yell that Nico had a feeling was little too early to make.

He was correct.

Another boulder swept over their heads and he struggled to his feet as he called out, “Get us out of here!”

Muttering rude things under his breath, Leo obeyed. The ship turned swiftly, engines humming in an almost desperate appreciation for freedom. Slowly the fogs cleared into sunshine, the mountains left behind them. Nico exhaled shakily and swept a hand through Lorrie’s chest. She let out an annoyed sigh but vanished.

She knew the rules.

Fishing a pair of tweezers out of his pocket, Nico held his arms close to his face and began plucking out the splinters that ravaged them.  Hazel had wandered over to the quarterdeck, gazing down at the rolling countryside. After a moment, she came over and helped him fish the rest of the wood out of his skin. It stung.

Punching buttons with clackity-clacking hits, Leo said, “Well, _that_ was sucktastic.” He sighed deeply, his soul turning grey with burning exhaustion. “Should I wake the others?”

Hazel shook her head. “They need rest. We’ll have to figure out another way on our own.”

“Huh.” Leo hovered close to his monitor, which was supposedly displaying a map of Italy. “Another way,” he muttered. He twisted to them. “Do you see one?”

Hazel took a step forward, eying the courses they could take towards Epirus. For the last two days, they’d been attempting to cross through the mountains because the pathway was shorter and they’d hoped it’d be safer. Unfortunately, they were dead wrong. Every time they tried, they were attacked by the mountain gods. They couldn’t fly high enough to avoid the boulders being thrown at them and the ship’s defenses weren’t strong enough to sustain constant heavy damage the whole way through.

Hazel’s soul pulsed a flurry of agonized green. “It’s our fault,” she said, her voice quiet. “Nico’s and mine. The _numina_ can sense us.”

Well, that was true but did she have to throw Nico under the bus as well?

Gripping the hilt of his sword a little harder and feeling it melt into his cane, Nico scowled. “Earth spirits don’t like the children of the Underworld. That’s true. We get under their skin.” He smirked, despite himself. “ _Literally_. But I think the _numina_ could sense this ship anyway. We’re carrying the Athena Parthenos.” As he said the statue’s name, a thrum of power pulsed under him as if to prove his point. “That thing is like a magical beacon.

Leo let out a humming groan. “So crossing the mountains is out.” His soul tripped an annoyed purple as he traced his hand over the monitor. “Thing is, they go a long way in either direction.”

“We could go by sea,” Hazel suggested. “Sail around the southern tip of Italy.”

“That’s a long way,” Nico said, imagining a loop versus a line. “Plus we don’t have…” He stopped for a brief second, thinking of Percy’s blue soul and calming yet raging presence. His voice slipped into a crack bordering misery. “You know...” He looked away. “…our sea expert, Percy.”

Percy’s name burned in the air.

With Annabeth, he was stuck in Tartarus and Nico had no doubt they’d survive _but_ -

But which one?

It took all of him, all of his willpower, to not blurt out the conditions of Tartarus, to not hiss that one of them would be stuck behind if they even made it, uncrazed, to the Doors of Death. And the one that got left behind wouldn’t live to see old age, much less survive the onslaught for saving the other.

Percy was self-sacrificing but so was Annabeth.

And in the end, Nico had the burning suspicion that they’d both be too stubborn to go through the Doors and would stay trapped, together, until someone else protected them through it.

And _who_ would do that? Willingly struggle through the hellscape to get them and let them up through the Doors and most likely get slaughtered in the process? Even if it was for the greater good, no one had a death wish much like getting ripped apart and _tortured_ at the amused expense of vicious giants and Titans.

Nico repressed his shiver at the thought, tuning back in when Hazel asked, “What about continuing north?” She crossed her arms. “There _has_ to be a break in the mountains, or something.”

Leo fiddled with a part of the console for the ship, an Archimedes sphere. A projection of the Apennine Mountains hovered above them, bright and clear. Nico could just barely make out the rocky outline. The hologram kept shifting, Leo searching.

“I dunno.” The hologram shifted out, the mountain line growing into a faint blur of brown that Nico couldn’t _see_. “I don’t see any good passes to the north. But I like that idea better than backtracking south. I’m done with Rome.”

None of them argued against that. Rome, so far, had been hell.

“Whatever we do,” Nico began sharply, “we have to hurry. Every day that Annabeth and Percy are in Tartarus…”

He trailed off. His insides squirmed. He felt _red_. Could taste it’s violence in the back of his mouth, disguised as rising bile and he couldn’t go on.

Couldn’t bear to discuss what had nearly killed him and what had stolen ninety percent of his will to live.

They had to hope Percy and Annabeth would survive to get to the Doors. Hope was a bitter pill to swallow. Relied too much on lack of expectation, on a lack of foreseeable probability. And even if they survived and the Argos II made it to the House of Hades, everyone important unscathed, how were they to get _both_ of them out _and_ seal the entrance.

Which lead to the even more pressing matter that burned at Nico’s mind.

How were they supposed to _win_?

He scowled at the bright green waves of Italian countryside. “Maybe we _should_ wake the others. This decision affects us all.”

“No,” Hazel insisted. “We can find solution.”

She sounded desperate. Like she needed it to all work out, just the three of them. Nico could partially understand why. The five of the earth-bound seven had been arguing amongst themselves for the longest while. The vibe that Nico had walked into when they first rescued him was all but dissipated with Percy’s missing presence.

Briefly, he spared a thought to Annabeth. He knew from the way everyone spoke about her, she’d assigned herself the leadership role de facto. She was the one people turned to, mind blown of intelligent maneuvers and well-formed answers. She was important, almost as important as Percy was with his ability to manipulate the sea.

If Percy had still been around, sailing around the southern tip of the country most likely wouldn’t have presented itself a tedious or lengthy task. And if Annabeth was still around, she would’ve spotted a million ways for them to bypass the mountains or even ways to cross the sea without it taking out a huge chunk of their timed journey.

They were the most skilled of the seven members, most adjusted to thinking on the fly and most attuned to _hope_.

And now they were gone.

And it was Nico’s fault.

He shifted, angry at himself and angry at the gods. They’d thrown him from one war to another, without a breath or break. He was quickly growing tired of it.

“We need some creative thinking,” Hazel continued, unaware of Nico’s own turmoil but her insistent and desperate voice betraying hers, despite the upbeat tone. “Another way to cross those mountains, or a way to hide ourselves from the _numina_.”

Nico sighed, fiddling with his cane handle. “If I was on my own, I could shadow-travel. But that won’t work for any entire ship.” He frowned. “And honestly, I’m not sure I have the strength to even transport _myself_ anymore.”

“I could maybe rig some kid of camouflage,” Leo suggested, “like a smoke screen to hide us in the clouds.” His voice didn’t even breach optimistic or enthusiastic levels.

There was a splurge of anxiety and misery ridden silence. It was made only more obvious by the awkward tension that bubbled between them. Leo’s soul was coursing in isolated anger and Hazel’s was shifting from grey to blackened blue with a sense of lost turmoil.

Then it swept pink and _glowed_. “Arion.”

Nico blinked. “What?”

Leo out a happy whoop. His blob was besides Hazel’s eying over the railing of the deck. “It’s her horse, man!  You missed that whole part. We haven’t seen him since Kansas!”

Bright and bubbly, sounding happier than she’d had in days, Hazel laughed and Nico couldn’t help but smile. Over the winds, the sound of a horse whinnying carried to them. Hazel’s hands hit the railing eagerly, two quick happy slaps.

“We have to meet him!” She turned to Leo and then at Nico. “He’s here to help.”

“Yeah, okay.” Leo stepped back to the console. “But, uh, we talked about not landing the ship on the ground anymore, remember? You know, with Gaea wanting to destroy us and all.”

“Just get me close,” Hazel ordered, voice thick with happy need, “and I’ll use the rope ladder. I think Arion wants to tell me something.”

Leo flew them to the top of a hill on the countryside. Luckily, it was far from the small towns or cities around them so they were easily hidden as they hovered just above it. Nico threw the rope ladder over the edge and held it tight as Hazel climbed over the railing and skinnied down, landing with a grunt as she jumped the gap to her horse.

Tentatively he waited with Leo for her to come back. After a minutes, impatience set in and he eased over the railing. “Hazel!” He tugged on her soul to snatch her attention in case she didn’t hear him. “What’s going on?”

“It’s fine!” she called back. There was a brief moment of silence before she continued with, “Arion wants to take me somewhere!”

Leo shifted awkwardly, fingers tap-tapping at his side. “Uh…” He gestured vaguely to the north. “Please tell me he’s not taking you into _that_?”

Out of habit, Nico glanced out into the distance. He couldn’t tell what it was but something dark gloomed over the distance and his body shuddered in quiet fear. Another splash of silence trickled between them.

“I’ll be okay!” Hazel called out to them. “Stay put and wait for me!”

“Wait for how long?” Nico shouted immediately. Panic spiked in his chest and he steeled his grip on the handle of his cane. “What if you don’t come back?”

“Don’t worry!” Hope shined in her voice. “I will!”

And then she was gone, leaving fearful hope trembling in Nico’s head and an endless bout of prayers that he _wouldn’t_ lose this sister too.

* * *

 

“And that’s how I got me and my future children banned from all Starbucks in Minnesota,” Leo finished dully.

Nico nodded vaguely, not at all sure how they even got onto this conversation when all Nico had asked was for the _time_. But the story, no matter how odd, helped fill in the spaces of Nico’s mind as impenetrable white noise. White noise was good. White noise stopped Nico’s mind from spiraling into a descent of constant internal torture, biting at his mind and thoughts, wondering and wondering when Hazel would be coming back.

 _If_ she’d be coming back.

And then Hazel threw herself aboard the ship.

Leo jumped up. “What happened?”

Nico shifted over to them immediately. Hazel’s hands were shaking. He reached out to clasp them, squeezing. “Hazel?”

At her name, she almost fell. Her own weight seemed to drop on her, knees shuffling out from under her. They snatched her immediately, kept her from tumbling over. Slowly they carried her over to the foredeck, Nico carrying the brunt of her weight as Leo led.

“I met Hecate,” she managed and her voice _trembled_.

Nico’s heart skipped a bit. Hecate. He’d met her _once_ , when Persephone was introducing him to all the gods and goddesses that lingered in the Underworld. Hecate’s entire presence brimmed with power. The sickening kind that left you weak once it was removed and you realized the only thing keeping you upright was stiffened fear.

She wasn’t _horrible_. Just nerve-wracking.

But Nico had the feeling it was _only_ because Persephone was there.

His heart skipped a lot more beats as Hazel explained her meeting with the Titaness. He had the stifling suspicion she wasn’t telling him everything but she told them _enough_. The secret northern pass through the mountains. The detour that could take them to Epirus. The dwarves.

When she was done, Nico steeled his grip on her hand. He tried to look as best into her eyes as could. “Hazel, you met Hecate at a crossroads. That’s…” He closed his eyes. “That’s something many demigods don’t survive. And the ones who _do_ survive are never the same. Are you sure you’re-”

“I’m fine,” she insisted, sounding a little weak.

“What if Hecate is tricking us?” Leo asked. “This route could be a trap.”

Hazel shook her head. “If it was a trap, I think Hecate would’ve made the northern route sound tempting.” Her voice soured as she added, “Believe me, she _didn’t._ ”

Leo’s arm bumped Nico’s as he ruffled through his toolbelt. He pulled something blocky and gray out, punching whatever buttons lingered it. Then he whistled low. “That’s… something like three hundred miles out of our way to get to Venice.” He fiddled with the console, the map projected once more and moving. “Then we’d have to backtrack down the Adriatic. And you said something about baloney dwarfs?”

“Dwarfs in Bologna,” Hazel corrected. “I guess Bologna is a city. But why we have to find dwarfs there...” She let out a loose sigh. “I have no idea. Some sort of treasure to help us with the quest.”

“Huh.” Leo let out a half-crazed laugh. “I mean, I’m all about treasure but-”

Nico stood up. “It’s our best option.” Hazel tugged on his arm and he helped her raise herself up slow. “We have to make up for lost time, travel as fast we can. Percy’s and Annabeth’s lives might depend on it.”

“Fast?” Leo’s soul burst in a fiery red, oozing crazed pleasure. “I can do fast.”

Nico nodded and guided Hazel away from him. Once out of earshot, he asked, “What else did Hecate say? Anything about-”

“I can’t.” Hazel’s fingers shook again until he squeezed her wrist tight and put calming pressure on her soul. She shook her head but relaxed into his side. “I’ll tell you later. Right now we should rest while we can. Tonight, we cross the Apennines.”

* * *

 

“Nico?”

At Jason’s turn to him, Nico leaned forward and clasped his hands. “I communed with the dead last night.” Immediately the air around him twitched. People did tend to grow uncomfortable when he spoke so easily of it. He ignored their shift and continued. “I was able to learn more about what we’ll face. In ancient times, the House of Hades, was a major site for Greek pilgrims. They would come to speak with the dead and honor their ancestors.”

Leo tapped the table rapidly. “Sounds like Día de los Muertos. My Aunt Rosa took that stuff seriously.”

Across the room, Frank grunted. “Chinese have that too. Ancestor worship, sweeping the graves in the springtime.” He gave a slight but toneless laugh. “Your Aunt Rosa would’ve gotten along with my grandmother.”

“Yeah,” Leo said dryly. “I’m sure they would’ve been best buds.”

Nico cleared his throat. “A lot of cultures have seasonal traditions to honor the dead, but the House of Hades was open year-round. Pilgrims could actually _speak_ to the ghosts. In Greek, the place was called the Necromanteion, the Oracle of Death.” He gestured vaguely “You’d work your way through different levels of tunnels, leaving offerings and drinking special potions-”

“Special potions,” Leo muttered. “Yum.”

For the millionth time, Nico resisted the urge to hit him. Or, at the very least, grab his soul and yank on it a few times. That always sent the right message.

Jason shifted from where he leaned against the walls. “Nico, go on.”

Nico rolled his eyes. He didn’t need _permission_. Just Leo to go quiet for ten seconds for once. “The pilgrims believe that each level of the temple brought you closer to the Underworld, until the dead would appear before you. If they were pleased with your offerings, they would answer your questions, maybe even tell you the future.”

Nervous, Frank tapped his fingernail to the mug in front of him. “And if the spirits _weren’t_ pleased?”

Nico shrugged. “some pilgrims found nothing,” he said. “Some went insane or died after leaving the temple. Others lost their way in the tunnels and were never seen again.”

“The point is,” Jason interjected quickly, shoving off from the wall, “Nico found some information that might help us.”

Well, he figured knowing that they might go crazy or _die_ inside the temple was pretty important information but okay. “Yeah,” he said. “The ghost I spoke to last night… he was a former priest of Hecate. He confirmed what the goddess told Hazel yesterday at the crossroads. In the first war with the giants, Hecate fought for the gods. She slew one of the giants, on who’d been designed as the anti-Hecate. A guy named Clytius.”

“Dark dude,” Leo cut in. _Again_. “Wrapped in shadows.”

Nico clicked his jaw, annoyed, but Hazel turned to Leo and said, “Leo, how did you know that?”

“Kind of had a dream.”

Nico chewed on the edge of his lip as Leo explained what he’d seen. When his story ended, Jason shifted, conflicted. “So, the giant is Clytius. I suppose he’ll be waiting for us, guarding the Doors of Death.”

“And the woman in Leo’s dream?” Frank asked.

“She’s my problem.” A diamond glittered in Hazel’s hand, a symptom of her nerves. “Hecate mentioned a formidable enemy in the House of Hades. A witch who couldn’t be defeated except by me, using magic.

“Do you know magic?” Leo asked, sounding wary and surprised.

Hazel glanced away, fiddling with her cup. “Not yet.”

“Ah,” Leo started. He went quiet, as though trying to think of some inspiring words to add. “Any idea who she is?”

“No.” Hazel nudged Nico’s foot. “Only that…” She trailed off as Nico tugged on her soul, a sharp _No_. She poked his. He batted at hers. Under the table, she tapped her foot against his ankle twice. He relented but jabbed her shin with his. Clearing her throat, Hazel finished. “Only that she won’t be easy to defeat.”

“But there is some good news,” Nico said. “The ghost I talked to explain how Hecate defeated Clytius in the first war. She used her torches to set his hair on fire H burned to death.” Nico turned to face Leo, who started gently. “In other words, fire is his weakness.”

Everyone turned to stare at Leo with him.

Leo licked his lips, the noise _loud_ in the tensed air. “Oh,” Leo said a little faint. “Okay.”

“It’s a good lead,” Jason said. “At least we know how to kill the giant. And this sorceress…” He trailed off for half a second before sparking semi-brightly. “Well, if Hecate believes Hazel can defeat her, then so do I.”

“Now we just have to reach the House of Hades,” Hazel said before Jason could instill any more optimism into the air and jerk their chances, “battle our way through Gaea’s forces-”

“Plus, a bunch of ghosts,” Nico pointed out. He grimaced. “The spirits in that temple may not be friendly.”

“-and find the Doors of Death,” Hazel finished a little lamely. Her voice carried a lack of hope and a ton of fake confidence. “Assuming we can somehow arrive at the same time as Percy and Annabeth and rescue them.”

“We can do it,” Frank insisted through a mouthful of food. “We _have_ to.”

“So, with this detour,” Leo said, “I’m estimating four or five days to arrive at Epirus, assuming no delays for, you know, monster attacks and stuff.”

Jason snorted. “Yeah. Those _never_ happen.”

Leo twisted to Hazel. “Hecate told you that Gaea was planning her big Wake Up! party on August first, right? The Feat of Whatever?”

“Spes,” Hazel corrected. “The goddess of hope.”

 _How ironic_ , Nico thought bitterly. Jason sat down at the table, pushing his cold plate of pancakes to the side. “Theoretically, that leaves us enough time. It’s only July fifth. We should be able to close the Doors of Death, then find the giants’ HQ and stop them from waking Gaea before August first.”

“Theoretically,” Hazel agreed. “But I’d still like to know how we make our way through the House of Hades without going insane or dying.”

Frank’s fork clattered to the table. “It’s July fifth,” he said. “Oh, jeez, I hadn’t even thought of that…”

Lost, Nico frowned. What was wrong with July fifth?

“Hey, man, it’s cool,” Leo said. “You’re Canadian, right? I didn’t expect you to get me an Independence Day present or anything… unless you want to.”

Frank’s soul twisted a purplish pissed. “It’s not _that_. My grandmother… she always told me that seven was an unlucky number. It was a _ghost_ number. She didn’t like it when I told her there would seven demigods on our quest.” Frank paused for a second before finishing with, “And July is the seventh month.”

“Yeah, but…” Leo’s fingers darted rapidly across the table again, something rhythmic in his tapping. “But that’s just coincidence, right?”

Frank’s voice gleaned a slight _worry_. “Back in China, in the old days, people called the seventh month, the _ghost_ month That’s when the spirits world and the human world were closest. The living and dead could go back and forth. Tell me it’s a coincidence we’re searching for the Doors of Death during the ghost month.”

 _This is Greek culture, though_ , Nico wanted to point out but he refrained. It’d be rude of him to say that. But still. They weren’t following Chinese _myths_.

Then again, Frank’s whole family line had twisted form Greece and Rome and China to Canada after so hundreds of years. That might’ve messed things up a little, scoped them closer together.

But Nico didn’t like the idea of blaming Frank or his family for anything.

If their cultures were somehow intertwined, Nico was gonna blame it on Leo.

Jason dug his hands into the arms of his chair so hard they creaked, almost snapping. “Let’s focus on the things we can deal with. We’re getting close to Bologna. Maybe we’ll get more answers once we find these dwarfs that Hecate-”

Without warning, the ship lurched forward, dipping deep. Nico feel backwards and smashed his head into the sideboard. He collapsed to the floor. Everyone’s plates and goblets slid off the table and clattered on top of him. He groaned, reaching for Hazel as she ran over to him.

The ship twisted to the other side.

Hazel stumbled, almost fell. Nico went sliding across the floorboards and crashed into the table. His back banged, he twisted without wanting to and continued sliding until he hit the wall on the other side of the room, smashing his head up for the second time. A ringing broke out in his head.

The images that played out on the walls were flickering rapidly, sending an earthquake of pain through his head. He groaned and squeezed his eyes shut.

Gods, his life was a _hole_.

* * *

 

Nico dropped down from where he liked to perch along the mast. He appeared out of the shadows, right behind Frank, just as Leo pulled something out and looked it over. “La Casa Nera,” he read. “Calle Frezzeria.”

“The Black House,” Nico said with ease. “Calle Frezzeria is the street.”

Frank jerked but quickly relaxed as he turned to Nico. “You speak Italian?” he asked.

Nico ignore the question because _duh_. “Frank is right. We have to find that address. The only way to do it is to walk the city. Venice is a maze.” He flexed his fingers over the handle of his cane. “We’ll have to risk the crowds and those… whatever they are.”

Overhead, thunder rumbled. With the noise, the air around them seemed to thicken like steam, growing warmer and more sweltering. If it weren’t for hiding the scars that riddled his skin and shielding himself from contact, Nico would’ve shed his jacket.

Or at the very least, wrapped it around his waist like a schoolchild.

“Maybe I should stay on board,” Jason suggested as another burst of thunder sounded. “Lots of _venti_ that storm last night. If they decide to attack the ship again…”

As he trailed off, not finishing, the air grew tenser with understanding. Angry and violent as they were, Jason was the only one who was capable of going up again the wind spirits and surviving the fights with much or any luck.

Close by, Coach Hedge grunted. “Well, I’m out, too. If you softhearted cupcakes are going to stroll through Venice without even whacking those furry animals on the head, forget it.” He stomped a hoof against the deck. “I don’t like _boring_ expeditions.”

“It’s okay, Coach,” Leo said. “We still have to repair the foremasts. Then I need your help in the engine room. I’ve got an idea for a new installation.”

There was a crazed tone in Leo’s voice that made Nico scowl. Leo was always fixing things, adding attachments to normal everyday objects that _didn’t_ need rocket boosters or any kind of defense mechanism. A lot of his “new” installations usually wound up exploding.

Sometimes Nico wondered if he got a thrill from the noise.

“Well…” Piper scuffed her feet against the deck. “Whoever goes should be good with animals.” She cleared her throat, voice going faint in a way that meant she was looking away. Her soul shifted a blue shade of embarrassment. “I, uh… I’ll admit I’m not great with cows.”

There was obviously a story there but Nico didn’t care enough to ask. Beside him, Frank volunteered with a tepid, “I’ll go.”

Leo patted him on the shoulder. “Awesome. If you pass a hardware store, could you get me some two-by-fours and a gallon of tar?”

“Leo, it’s not a shopping trip,” Hazel chided.

Nico bumped her side soothingly. “I’ll go with Frank.”

Uncomfortable, Frank shifted. “Uh… you’re good with animals?”

Without humor, Nico smiled, baring his teeth for the sharpest of a second. “Actually, most animals hate me. They can sense death. But there’s something about this city…” A sourness settled on the back of his tongue. “Lots of death. Restless spirits.” He gestured vaguely with his free hand. “If I go, I may be able to keep them at bay. Besides-” And he couldn’t help the smirk that shifted over his face. “-as you noticed, I speak Italian.”

“Lots of death, huh?” Leo cracked his knuckles. “Personally I’m trying to avoid lots of death but-” He patted Frank’s back again. “-you guys have fun!”

“I’ll go too.” Hazel slipped around Nico to grip Frank’s hand. “Three is the best number for a demigod quest, right?”

Immediately at her touch, Frank’s soul slid relaxed and squishy, turning a faint orange. Nico smiled and gazed out to the waters that rippled against the boat. “Alright, then. Let’s go find the owner of that book.”

* * *

 

During his second attempt at shadow-travel, Nico had appeared at the edge of a sidewalk and unceremoniously shoved into a canal. For a ten-year-old in the middle of developing blindness, it was a terrible time. He couldn’t see a thing in the murky waves. There was no reside of images, no sound except the pounding of his heart, no touch beside the water which blocked out any concept of negative space he could’ve conceived and no taste besides the grimy salt.

He was pretty sure he was gonna drown and had had half a mind to blame Percy for it somehow.

Ever since he’d been content to avoid the hell out of Venice. It seemed the Fates had other plans.

The summer had drawn in tourists. They meandered slow and heavy down the sidewalks, crowding around the houses and calling out to one another. It was all so loud and crowded. Negative space diminished rapidly.

Hazel kept her hand tucked into the crevice of Nico’s elbow which helped a while. She tugged him to stop, her hand turning into a vice-like grip on his arm. The monster-cow smelled like manure and farts. Nico wrinkled up his face and resisted the urge to try and shove it into the canal.

Hazel twisted, Frank doing the same, and watched the monster-cow shamble along the edge of the sidewalk. “Well, they’re plant-eaters,” Frank said, turning back to the front. “That’s good news.”

“Unless they supplement their diet with demigods.” Hazel tugged the two of them forward. “Let’s hope not.”

They continued on. The heat beat down on them, almost as if they were pressed close to an exposed flame. It didn’t make the smell of Venice any better. To his left the canal rippled on. A vague sense, a vague _memory_ , half-blurred and shoddily shopped around his mind, curdled to the front of his mind. He could remember being small… and waves.

Light waves.

And someone’s voice. Softly murmuring.

 _Nico_ …

An eerie sense rippled against Nico’s skin. He shook his head and paused. Half-turned to the source of the eeriness, he gestured with the hand curled around the handle of his cane. “There.”

They turned into a smaller, more deserted street. Ahead of them was a small plaza, gaping between the lining a few buildings. Monster-cows straggled up and down. Their souls lagged heavy. Surrounding the street, the buildings and the monsters was a massive flurry of _lemures_.

Tension built up thick and strong in the turmoiled souls ahead of them. Like zombies, they were motionless, uninterested in the three demigods before them. One wrong step could’ve changed that.

Frank scratched the back of head. “A lot of cows in one place.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Yeah.”

Hazel took a curious step forward. Instinctively, Nico grabbed her wrist. The _lemures_ shifted and she stopped. “Is that….” She stepped back quickly. “There’s a house,” she said slowly. “Just past the arch.”

“La Casa Nera,” Frank said slowly.

Hazel’s hand loped back into the crest of Nico’s elbow. “It feels… _cold_.”

Nico nodded. “You’re right, Hazel. This neighbourhood is filled with _lemures._ ”

“Lemurs?” Frank gave a nervous laugh. “I’m guessing you don’t mean the furry little guys from Madagascar?”

“Angry ghosts,” Nico translated. “ _Lemures_ go back to Roman times. They hand around a lot of Italian cities, but I’ve never felt so many in one place. My mom told me…” He paused, hesitating for a slight second before giving in. “She used to tell me stories about the ghosts of Venice.”

“Nico, your mom was Italian? She was from Venice?” Frank asked. He sounded like he was guessing at it, which didn’t make much sense. How _else_ was Nico supposed to have learned Italian? It wasn’t like the US was particularly interested in schooling children in languages outside of English and besides, Nico hadn’t even been in school since he was _ten_. It was a miracle he knew _anything_.

Still, he figured. Frank didn’t know about Nico’s life. He’d been hesitant to reveal anything to anyone besides Hazel. But… Frank was…

Frank was good.

Slowly, Nico nodded. “She met Hades here, back in the 1930s. As World War Two go closer, she fled to the US with my sister and me.” Nico shook his head. “I mean… Bianca. My other sister.” He sighed. “I don’t remember much about Italy but I can still speak the language.” The Lethe was weird like that, he didn’t say.

“Must’ve been hard on your mom,” Frank said. His voice turned wistful, distant. “I guess we’ll do anything for someone we love.”

Percy flashed to the forefront of Nico’s mind. His green, _green_ eyes that Nico couldn’t _shake_. “Yeah.” He swallowed, the taste of bitter. “I guess we will.”

The air around the three of them turned tense. Hazel squeezed the inside of Nico’s arm, a worrying _are you okay?_ Nico shifted, agitated.

“So… the _lemures_ …” Frank swallowed audibly. “How do we avoid them?”

“I’m already on it,” Nico said. He brandished out a snaky, ghostly tendril through the ground, hitting the _lemures_ and latching into them. “I’m sending out the message that they should stay away and ignore us.” He bit his lip and let his power snap back into him. “Hopefully that’s enough. Otherwise… things could get messy.”

Dreading optimism leeched into Hazel’s voice as she suggested, “Let’s get going.”

They were halfway across the way, when everything went sideways. Luckily, it had nothing to with the _lemures_. Unluckily, it involved the giant monster cows.

Rounding a wall in the middle of the square, Hazel tripped and kicked over a loose piece of cobblestone. Frank caught her quickly but Nico turned to face the suddenly alert souls behind them. The creatures let out a sound like a raring foghorn. It burst inside Nico’s head. He ducked his face, just barely catching sight of something slightly green amongst the grayish-brown blob.

He blanched, nausea curling through him like a vice. He recoiled and looked down, ready to vomit when something shifted underneath he foot. He backed up.

“Nice cows,” Frank mumbled as he helped Hazel to her feet. He shifted slightly in front of them. “Guys, I’m thinking we should back out of here slowly.”

“I’m such a klutz,” Hazel whispered. “Sorry.”

“It’s not your fault,” Nico said. He tapped the ground with his cane. “Look at your feet.”

Under their shoes, the paving stones were moving. Spiky plant tendrils were pushing up from the cracks. Nico stepped back. The roots snaked out in his direction, trying to follow. He backed up quicker, Hazel and Frank moving with him. The tendrils grew thicker and thicker as they poured out of the ground. Steamy green vapour curdled in the air.

It smelled _disgusting_.

“These roots seem to like demigods,” Frank noted.

“And the cow creatures like the roots,” Hazel whispered. Her hand drew to her sword hilt. Nico readied his cane.

The entire herd of cow monsters were stomping angrily at the ground and blaring that godawfully loud foghorn cry. Nico didn’t know a lot about animals but he had the fleeting feeling that now was the moment to _run_.

“Don’t meet their eyes,” Frank warned. “I’ll distract them. You two back up slowly toward that black house.”

Hazel’s hand went to the back of Nico’s shirt.

One of the creatures let out the loudest wail.

“Never mind!” Frank shouted. He turned. “Run!”

Hazel twisted her fist into Nico’s shirt and _yanked_ him down the square, heading right for the side street. Behind them, Frank lagged, yelling at the top of his lungs like a crazy man. Hazel kept pulling Nico, which made it difficult to move. They’d practiced a few things together: her guiding him, them walking arm in arm, sparring.

Not running.

Nico had done it briefly once with Thanatos after the last war, just to test, and didn’t like the lack of freedom it granted him, a choice to change direction or maintain his own speed.

Either way, he knew that the more Hazel pulled him, the higher the chance he was going to crash into a wall or slide off her grip and fall right into a canal.

Quickly, he paced himself faster, twisting out of her grip and reaching out with his hand. She caught his wrist and he swiftly tugged it from her hand and caught the back of her shirt with hand. Suddenly, it was a lot easier to move. Which was good given that several members of the herd seemed to be ignoring Frank, who was screaming “No! Me! I’m the rhino!” and were pacing steadfast after Nico and Hazel.

Nico had imagined he’d die in a lot ways.

Trampled to death by cow monsters has not been one of them.

His breath pounded out of his body. They ripped down the road. Their feet slapped against the ground and every hit burned. Then Hazel was pushing him right out of the way, yelling, “No!” and Nico went crashing to the pavement.

He heard one of the monsters give a loud cry. It was in front of him. Instinctively, he swung his cane out, felt it morph outwardly into a sword and cut through creature with ease. It vanished into cloud of yellow and he staggered to Hazel, cutting through the second one that hovered over her.

“Hazel?” he breathed, patting her face rapidly. “Hazel? Hazel!” She refused to answer him, her breathing thickly labored and fading. Panicked and terrified, Nico screamed, “FRANK! _FRANK!”_

Staggering, Frank ran over to him, grabbing Hazel. Her head slumped against her chest.

Weak, Nico said, “She got a blast of green gas right in the face.” His fingers trembled over her cheek. “She pushed me out of the way. I couldn’t-”

Frank ignored him, heaving Hazel into his arms. He seemed just on the verge of punching Nico in the face, body boiling with rage and despair. “We need to get her back to the ship,” he said, twisting away from Nico who stumbled to his feet.

One of the cow monsters bellowed again. The rest soon followed. Their cries echoed into the air once more. Nico winced. “We’ll never make it on foot.” He shook his head. “Turn into a giant eagle. Don’t worry about me, just get her back to the Argo II!”

A wry voice behind them said, “Your friends can’t help you. They don’t know the cure.”

They spun around. The person behind them was obviously not human. Weird and sudden strangers rarely were. But Nico didn’t care.

“Can you cure her?” Frank demanded before Nico could ask.

“Of course,” the man said. “But you’d better hurry inside.” He turned around, walking back to his door. “I think you’ve angered every _katobleps_ in Venice.”

The two of them bolted indoors, Nico lagging behind so Frank could get there with Hazel first. The man threw shut the door and bolted it. The cow monsters reared up against the doors and bellowed angrily.

“Oh, they can’ get in,” he promised. He clapped his hands happily. “You’re safe now!”

“Safe?” Frank yelled. “Hazel is dying!”

“Yes, yes.” His voice had turned half-annoyed. “Bring her this way.”

They followed the man further into the building. Frank carried Hazel close to his chest. Nico tried to keep a wary sense out for their host but his attention kept dragging back to Hazel, who was shivering so minutely but enough that her teeth chattered quietly.

The house was like a nursery or a greenhouse. Tables were neatly lined from wall to wall, plants in small trays heating under the lights. Manure and other fertilizers were entrenched deeply into the air. It reminded Nico of the two weeks he spent with Persephone in her own garden, helping her tend to her _real_ flowers versus the jeweled ones.

The back room was lit up with the glow of over a dozen laptop screens. Nico winced at the glaring lights. It smelled a ton better than the front of the house but not by much. At the very back, a gold and red chariot was parked. The glow of the screens glittered off it. Nico had to close his eyes and nearly slipped on a stray brochure.

“Set your friend here,” the man said.

Frank laid Hazel out a top a bed across from the computers. He removed her sword from her grip, shoving it through one of his own belt loops. She was limply loose, like a ragdoll. Nico wished he wasn’t so _careless_.

“What were those cow things?” Frank demanded. “What did they do to her?”

“ _Katoblepones_ ,” the man said. “Singular, _katobleps_. In English, it means _down-looker_. Called that because-”

Nico could’ve punched something. ‘They’re always looking down.” He smacked his forehead, annoyed. “Right. I remember reading about them.”

Frank whirled on him, vicious. “ _Now_ you remember?”

Nico hung his head, ashamed. “I, uh… used to play this stupid card game when I was younger.” He fiddled with his hands. “Mythomagic. The _katobleps_ was one of the monster cards.”

Frank paused for half a second. “I played Mythomagic. I never saw that card.”

Nico licked his lips. “It was in the _Africanus Extreme_ expansion deck.” Bianca had bought it for him in the Lotus.

“Oh.”

The man cleared his throat, snagging their attention. “Are you two done, ah, _geeking out_ , as they say?”

The bac of Nico’s neck burned. “Right, sorry. Anyway, _katoblepones_ have poison breath and a poison gaze. I thought they only lived in Africa.”

“That’s their native land,” the man confirmed. “They were accidentally imported to Venice hundreds of years ago. You’ve heard of Saint Mark?”

“Saints?” Frank said through clenched teeth. “They’re not part of Greek mythology.”

The man chuckled. “No, but Saint Mark is the patron saint in this city. He did in Egypt, oh, a long time ago. When the Venetians became powerful… well, the relics of saints were a big tourist attraction back in the Middle Ages. The Venetians decided to steal Saint Mark’s remains and bring them to their church of San Marco. They smuggled out his body in a barrel of pickled pig parts.”

“That’s… _disgusting_ ,” Frank said. Nico nodded in agreement.

“Yes,” the man said, smile evident in his pleased tone. “The point is, you can’t do something like that and not have consequences. The Venetians unintentionally smuggled something _else_ out of Egypt. The _katoblepones_. They came here aboard that ship and have been breading like _rats_ ever since. They love the magical poison roots that grow here, swampy, foul-smelling plants that creep up from the canals. It makes their breath even more poisonous!” The man sound exceptionally pleased about that. “Usually the monsters ignore mortals, but demigods…. Especially demigods who get their way-”

“Got it,” Frank snapped. “Can you cure her?”

“Possibly.”

“ _Possibly?_ ” Frank turned to Nico, his hand waving over Hazel’s face. “Nico, please tell me she’s doing that death trance thing, like you did in the bronze jar.”

Nico grimaced. “I don’t know if Hazel can do that. Her dad is technically Pluto, not Hades so-”

“Hades!” the man yelled. His soul recoiled violently as he backed away. “So _that’s_ what I smell. Children of the Underworld? If I’d known _that_ , I would never have let you in!”

Agitation sparked into the back of Nico’s mind. He was so _sick_ and _tired_ of people twitching away him like he was all kinds of _diseased_ just because of who his father was.

Beside him, Frank rose. “Hazel’s a good person. You promised you would _help_ her.”

“I did _not_ promise,” the man spat.

Nico’s blood boiled. He drew his sword from his cane and brandished it out. “She’s my sister,” he _snarled_. “I don’t know who you are, but if you can cure her, you have to, or so help me by the River Styx-”  
“Oh, blah, blah, blah!” the man said.

In seconds, Nico’s body was trembling and contorting within itself. For the billionth time, he found himself angrily cursing out every being on earth.

Well.

For as long as he had consciousness.

* * *

 

Disoriented, Nico snapped back to regular form, nightmares about popcorn rolling in the back of his mind. He whipped out his sword again. Frantically he searched for something familiar amongst the smell of corn. “I-I had the weirdest nightmare about popcorn,” he said, latching onto Hazel’s soul like a scared little boy. He squinted vaguely at Frank. There was something _odd_ about his blur. “Did you get _taller_?”

“Everything’s fine,” Frank promised quickly and without any other explanation. “Triptolemus was about to tell us how to survive the House of Hades.” His voice slid pointed. “Weren’t you, Trip?”

The man, a god Nico supposed, sighed, the breath exhaling annoyed and irritated. “Fine. When you arrive at Epirus, you will be offered a chalice to drink from.”

“Offered by whom?” Nico asked.

“Doesn’t matt,” Trip snapped. “Just know that it is filled with deadly poison.”

Nico almost groaned. Of course, it was. Hazel winced. “So, you’re saying that we shouldn’t drink it.”

“No!” Trip snapped. Nico felt the sudden urge to smack him. “You _must_ drink it or you’ll never be able to make it through the temple. The poison connected you to the world of the dead, lets you pass into the lower levels. The secret to surviving is-” And he gave an obnoxious laugh. “- _barley.”_

Nico _really_ , _really_ wanted to smack him.

“Barley,” Frank said. There was a momentary pause. Then he said it again. “ _Barley_?”

“In the front room, take some of my special barley. Make it into little cakes. Eat these before you step into the House of Hades. The barley will absorb the worst of the poison, so it will _affect_ you, but not kill you,” Trip explained.

Nico waited a little while more because… _that couldn’t be it_? When Trip said nothing else, he hissed, “ _That’s it_? Hecate sent us halfway across Italy so you could tell us to eat _barley_?”

“Good luck!” Trip ran across the room and hopped into his chariot. “And, Frank Zhang, I forgive you! You’ve got spunk. If you ever change your mind, my offer is open. I’d love to see you get a degree in farming!”

“Yeah,” Frank said dryly. “Thanks.”

At the back of the room, doors rolled open. Sunshine spilled in. “Oh, to be mobile again!” Trip cried. “So many ignorant lands in need of my knowledge. I will teach them the glories of tilling, irrigation, fertilizing!” The chariot heaved into the air, Triptolemus shouting into the clouds, “Away my serpents! Away!”

Nico was going to find Demeter, preferably with Persephone to back him up, and _beg her to stop turning crazy people into farming obsessed gods._

“That,” Hazel started, “was very strange.”

“The glorious of fertilizing,” Nico muttered. He brushed a bit of corn silk off his shoulder and crossed his arms. His sword slunk back into a cane. “Can we get out of here now?”

“Are you okay? Really?” Hazel asked. Nico titled his head towards them, slightly. “you bartered for our lives. What did Triptolemus make you do?”

Frank’s soul curled into itself, turning yellow with discomfort. “Those cow monsters…” His voice shook. “The _katoblepones_ that poisoned you…. I had to destroy them.”

“That was brave,” Nico said. “There must have been, what, six or seven left in that herd.”

“No.” Frank cleared his throat and wiped his hands down the sides of his pants. “All of them.” He swallowed audibly. “I- I killed _all_ of them in the city.”

Nico took that in.

Frank wasn’t really a violent person. If he were to kill anything, even a monster, it’d be out of necessity versus needless slaughter. Nico almost couldn’t _believe_ -

But. There was war-torn aura shrouding him, curdled with lake-y death. The same kind of swirl that riddled in the chests of so many people Nico had stumbled past in his life. Carnage. Violence.

Death.

 _War_.

Nico could finally believe that Frank really was a child of Mars.

He swallowed. “Well.” He turned to the front. “Does anyone know what barley looks like?”

* * *

Nico should’ve known that would be the end of it. Part of him, the small, tiny part of him that had retained his ten-year-old optimism and hope, was brightly expecting that to be the end. Make a cake of barely and head right to Epirus. No stops, no fuss, smooth sailing from there on.

Of course, he was _dead wrong_.

He wasn’t expecting a giant turtle though.

“No!” Lorrie shouted, lobbing a rock at the turtle. It bounced off its head, barely missing Jason who was flying around, stabbing at the creature, and clattered to the deck below.

A fruit slung past Nico’s face. He swore and shifted out of the way, snapping his vision to the side of the boat. Ahead was a blurry lining of _green_. Nico pointed at it. “Lorrie!”

She threw another rock. “Yeah!” She ducked her head over the edge of the rigging. “Get us to the straits!”

“What?” Leo yelled.

Nico groaned as he threw himself towards the edge of the rigging and pointing vigorously to the blurry straits before them. “There!” he shouted. “Can you get us to those straits?”

“Yeah! Yeah!” Leo turned to the sphere in his hands. “Jason, get away from that thing’s head! I have an idea!”

Another oar snapped off. Nico grumbled and then Lorrie shouted and pinned him to the flooring of the yardarm. The ship heaved and he locked his legs around the wood. He fell back. Rope flew at his back. His cane nearly slung out of his grip but he held tight and quickly locked the handle’s tie over his wrist, tightening it in place.

Lorrie appeared beside him again, hovering just over the wood. Nico swung himself up and locked an arm around the vertical stretch of the mast.

“You okay?” Lorrie asked.

Nico nodded, waving her off. He locked into the turtle’s soul and shoved on it as hard he could. It didn’t do much but the turtle seemed to fall back just the slightest bit. On the heels of his push, Piper shouted, “Go away!”

The brownish blob stopped for half a second. It ducked its head under the water, ready to sink back to the murky depths. But then it surged right back up and slammed into the boat once more.

“I hate turtles now,” Lorrie said. “They’re all fucked to me now.”

“Great,” Nico snapped, swinging his other arm around the mast and throwing himself back onto the yardarm. She tugged him to a stable position and he trapped himself into the rigging again. Which did nothing as the ship launched forward again, much faster than normal, something sounding suspiciously like a jet airplane flying off roaring behind them.

He faltered off the rigging and nearly crashed to the deck. Luckily, he caught himself on the ropes of the nearest yard. Swinging off the rope, he shoved his cane between his teeth and began to climb up. Wind rippled his clothes. His hair flushed out, eyes drying out.

Grunting he shifted between the ropes and swung around. The air still hurtled at him at top speed but pressed him towards the ropes rather than tugging him back.

His back now to the straits, he could just see smoke flustering into the air hundreds of yards away. He glanced over his shoulder. Salty sea air whipped at his eyes like stinging bites. The straits were still a flustered blur ahead of him. He turned back and continued to climb.

Lorrie grabbed his reaching hands and heaved him up top the mast again.

“Hazel’s pissing it off on top of horse,” she said. “It’s galloping on the ocean.”

It was a tried and true testament to what she, as a ghost and probably as a person, had experienced to the fact that she didn’t even sound mildly surprised.

“Pretty girl’s there too,” she continued.

Nico strained his vision to the turtle’s shapeless blob. He couldn’t make out Hazel or Piper or Arion but through the winds, he could just about hear Piper yelling random commands at it, oozing charmspeak with every word.

Suddenly Lorrie swung to her left and hit Nico in the chest.

“Agh!” he grunted, just barely catching himself on the yardarm.

“Sorry!” she yelled, heaving him back up. “I’m just… gonna stop listening to her.”

“That’d be best,” Nico muttered, stepping away from her either way.

The boat’s speed slowed considerably. Nico locked an arm around the mast and gazed out into the water. They had sailed right into the shallows, it seemed. Right between the straits were the turtle couldn’t reach them or pummel through without crushing itself or getting stuck.

Probably.

Nico wasn’t sure.

He knew the turtle was huge but he couldn’t exactly tell _how_ huge. Its edges blurred off and the sunlight shined from its shell to his face which didn’t help with the minimal _sight_ issue.

Arion’s hoofs clattered to the deck. Nico glanced down then behind himself. The turtle had stopped moving.

Hazel dismounted off her horse’s back and dropped to the ground. Nico breathed out a sigh of relief and turned back to look out into the waters.

Then he frowned.

“Are we stuck?”

“Yeah,” Lorrie said. “You guys are fucked up stuck, sweetheart.”

He winced. “Adding a pet name doesn’t make the bad news better,” he grumbled, looping backwards.

“I beg to differ,” she sniffed.

He ignored her. “Guys!” he called down, leaning off the mast, his other arm locked around it the elbow. “About sailing the other direction? I don’t think that’s going to work!”

He jabbed his thumb just beyond the prow.

The strip of land curved out and caught itself at the cliffs, ending the channel of water into a tight V.

It was a trap.

A very well-planned trap.

An arrow whistled right past his face. Nico jerked and swung himself behind the mast. The heels of his feet just barely clung to the strip of wood that connected the mast to the yards. Below, everyone had scattered for cover, except for Piper.

Her soul was wrenched in turmoil, coated with a fading line of “almost died”.

The arrow was aimed for her.

Or Nico.

Or both of them.

“Climb _what_?” Piper snapped.

Nico wasn’t sure what she was talking about, too busy trying to stay upright on the mast.

“Stairs,” Lorrie said, pointing.

Nico nodded and pointed to the staircase that Lorrie saw. “There.”

“Go down,” Lorrie urged. “Now.”

Nico reached out and swung himself onto the ropes, sliding down slow enough to warm his hands but not blister them. He landed with a patient thump and approached Piper. She had a small note in her hand. “Is the note signed?”

Hazel shook her head. Leo gazed up to the cliff. “That’s not a good trajectory. Even if I could arm the catapult before that guy pincushioned us with arrows, I don’t think I could make the shot. That’s a hundred of feet, almost straight up.”

“Yeah,” Frank grumbled. “My bow is useless too. He’s got a huge advantage above us like that. I couldn’t reach him.”

“And, um…” Piper nudged the arrow lodged deep into the main mast. “I have a feeling he’s a good shot. I don’t think he _meant_ to hit me. But if he did…”

She didn’t need to elaborate. Whoever that guy was, he could hit a target from hundreds of feet away evidently.

He could murder them all without any of them having a second to react.

“I’ll go,” Hazel volunteered.

Frank’s voice turned taut. “Hazel-”

“No, listen,” she insisted. “This robber wants valuables. I can go up there, summon gold, jewels, whatever he wants.”

Leo’s leg began tapping agitatedly against the floorboards. “If we pay him off, you think he’ll actually let us go?”

“We don’t have much choice,” Nico pointed out to his disdain. “Between that guy and the turtle…”

Jason raised his hand. “I’ll go too. The letter says two people. I’ll take Hazel up there and watch her back.” He dropped his arm. “Besides, I don’t like the look of those stairs. If Hazel falls… well, I can use the winds to keep us both from coming down the hard way.”

Nearby Hazel, Arion whinnied as though protesting. Hazel stroked a hand down his face. “I have to, Arion.” She turned to Jason. “Jason… yes. I think you’re right. It’s the best plan.”

“Only wish I had my sword.” Jason’s voice slit pointed. “It’s back there at the bottom of the sea and we don’t have Percy to retrieve it.”

As soon as he said the name, the mood turned miserable and sour.

Hazel shifted, sticking an arm out. Gold shot out of the water and ripped right into her hands. “Here,” she said quickly, handing it over.

“How… That was like half a mile!” Jason said, awed.

“I’ve been practicing,” she said so nonchalantly Nico knew it was a lie. She cracked her knuckles. “Now, if there are no other objections, we have a robber to meet.”

* * *

 

“Hey, Nico?”

Nico turned to Lorrie who’d shown up randomly to keep him company while he sat on watch. “What?”

“How long does it usually take before blonde superman stops falling and flies himself to safety?”

Nico stared out into the water, confused. “ _What?_ ”

Lorrie pointed upwards. Nico looked.

Jason was falling.

Fast.

And didn’t seem to be planning on stopping any time soon.

Nico jerked to a stand. “Piper!” he yelled down to her. He pointed to air. “Jason!”

“Wha- JASON!” she yelled, skirting right to the side of the boat as Frank scattered forward with her. “WAKE UP!”

Jason’s body jerked. A blast of air slammed against the water, upending sprites of water into the air and onto the boat. Piper’s charmspeak was so powerful that Nico suddenly felt more alert. Below deck, everyone else snapped awake too.

In the mess hall, Jason discussed what he’d seen in his dream. Nico stayed quiet, to the back of the room while everyone made discussions about it. Sure, this was an important change in plan but his part of the deal was to get everyone to Epirus safely.

This planning didn’t involve him for the moment.

And either way, he needed to think. He filtered through the conversation, picking the important parts to display at the front of his mind while the rest were neatly filed away for storage.

Croatia…

It hit him. “Dalmatia.”

Jason jerked in surprise. Nico didn’t waver. He knew the others were a little put off when just “appeared” from nowhere but to be fair, it wasn’t his fault. He just slunk towards the shadows. An easy escape, if he needed one.

He certainly didn’t think it was behaviour worthy of shoving a bell around his neck as Leo had once asked Hazel if she’d consider doing it.

Nico gave Jason’s soul a light tap to snag his attention fully. “Croatia used to Dalmatia,” he explained. “A major Roman province. You want to visit Diocletian’s Palace, don’t you?”

Coach Hedge burped. “ _Whose_ palace? And is Dalmatia where those Dalmatian dogs come from? That _101_ _Dalmatians_ move, I still have nightmares.”

Frank scratched his head. “Why would you have nightmares about that?”

Coach Hedge inhaled deeply, ready to go off on a tangent about the horrors of cartoon dogs. Lucky, Jason interjected.

“Nico is right,” he said. “I need to go to Diocletian’s Palace. It’s where Reyna where will go first, because she knows _I_ would go there.”

Piper shifted softly. Inside her soul bubbled with half-amusement and low jealousy. Her voice seemed to grow more melodious as she said, “And _why_ would Reyna think that? Because you’ve always had a mad fascination with Croatian culture?”

Jason choked, taking on the wave of whatever Aphrodite magic Piper was spewing and losing all sense that his soul seemed to flatline into a baseless white blob. Like a baby’s. After a few seconds, he shook his head rapidly.

“Reyna and I used to talk about Diocletian,” he explained. “We both kind of idolized the guy as a leader. We talked about how we’d like to visit Diocletian’s Palace. Of course, we knew that was impossible. No one could travel to the Ancient Lands. But still, we made this pact that if we ever _did_ , that’s where we’d go.”

“Diocletian…” Leo trailed off. For a brief moment, he considered the name then stabbed a pear on his plate. “I got nothing? Why was he so important?”

“He was the last great pagan emperor!” Frank said.

Leo huffed. “Why am I not surprised you know that, Zhang?”

 _More than you know anything_ , Nico muttered bitterly inside his head.

“Why wouldn’t I?” Frank said. “He was the last one who worshipped the Olympian gods, before Constantine came along and adopted Christianity.”

Hazel nodded. “I remember something about that. The nuns at St. Agnes taught us that Diocletian was a huge villain, right along with Nero and Caligula.” She turned to Jason, her soul askew with confusion. “Why would you idolize him?”

“He wasn’t a _total_ villain,” Jason said. “Yeah, he persecuted Christians, but otherwise he was a good ruler. He worked his way up from nothing by joining the legion. His parents were former slaves… or at least his _mom_ was. Demigods know he was a son of Jupiter, the last demigod to rule Rome.” Jason gestured outwardly. “He was also the first emperor ever to retire, like, _peacefully_ , and give up his power. He was from Dalmatia, so he moved back there and built a retirement palace. The town of Split grew up around…”

His voice faltered. Nico glanced up from where he was trying to figure out if that was crack on the floor or a just a smudge of dirt. Leo had been mocking Jason, seemingly pretending to take notes on a pad.

“Go on, Professor Grace!” he said. “I wanna get an A on the test.”

“Shut up, Leo.”

Piper slurped at her soup. “So why is Diocletian’s Palace so special?”

Nico ducked forward to snag their attention again, slipping a grape from a bowl. “It’s said to be haunted by the ghost of Diocletian.”

“Who was a son of Jupiter, like me,” Jason said. “His tomb was destroyed centuries ago, but Reyna and I used to wonder if we could find Diocletian’s ghost and ask where he was buried…” He trailed off. Tapping his fingers to the table, he cleared his throat. “According to legends, his scepter was buried with him.”

Nico couldn’t help the wicked grin that curled over his mouth. “Ah… _that_ legend.”

“What legend?” Hazel asked.

Nico took a step back. “Supposedly Diocletian’s scepter could summon the ghosts of Roman legions, any of them who worshipped the old gods.”

Eagerly, Leo whistled. “Okay, _now_ I’m interested. Be nice to have a booty-kicking army of pagan zombies on our side when we enter the House of Hades.”

“Not sure I would’ve put it that way,” Jason said, “but yeah.”

“WE don’t have much time,” Frank warned. “It’s already July ninth. We have to get to Epirus, close the Doors of Death-”

“Which are guarded by a smoke giant and a sorceress who wants…” Hazel hesitated. “Well, I’m not sure. But according to Pluto, she plans to ‘rebuild her domain.’ Whatever that means, it’s _bad_ enough that my dad felt like warning me personally.”

Frank let out an annoyed grunt. “And if we survive _all_ that, we still have to find out where the giants are waking Gaea and get there before the first of August. Besides the longer Percy and Annabeth are in Tartarus-”

Nico winced, drawing himself back to the cling of the shadows.

“I know,” Jason said. “We won’t take long in Split. But looking for the scepter is worth a try. While we’re at the palace, I can leave a message for Reyna, letting her know the route we’re taking to Epirus.”

“The scepter of Diocletian could make a huge difference,” Nico said. He thumbed the handle of his cane. “You’ll need my help.”

Jason’s soul curled a sick and alarmed blue. Nico resisted the urge to scowl pitifully.

He knew Jason was uncomfortable around him, like everyone else excluding Hazel and Frank, but he’d thought the guy at least _liked_ him. Then again maybe the stories Percy and Annabeth had told them about him, the ones they were always murmuring to each other whenever Nico did something out of the ordinary, were bad ones.

His heart sunk into his stomach.

Annabeth didn’t have many stories about Nico to tell anyone. But Percy…

His heart seemed to drop deeper.

Percy still didn’t trust him, if he was warning everyone against him.

“Hey, sounds fun,” Piper said. “I’ll go too.”

Jason’s soul turned a thankful green.

“You can’t, Piper.” Nico rubbed his wrist. “It should only be Jason and me. Diocletian’s ghosts might appear for a son of Jupiter, but any other demigods would most likely…. Ah, _spook_ him. And I’m the only one who can talk to his spirit.” He licked his lips, nodding his head to the side slight. “Even Hazel won’t be able to do that.”

Overhead, the ship’s bell sounded, blocking any protest the others might’ve made. The dragon head, Festus, creaked and whirred over the loudspeaker.

“We’ve arrived,” Leo announced, pushing off the table to a stand. “Time to Split.”

Frank groaned. “Can we leave Valdez in Croatia?”

Nico rolled his head and cuffed Frank’s back good-naturedly as Jason stood. “Frank, you’re in charge of defending the ship. Leo, you’ve got repairs to do. The rest of you… help out wherever you can. Nico and I…” He turned to Nico. Inside of him, his chest was squirming, almost… _sparking_. _“_ We have a ghost to find.”

* * *

 

If angels were real, Nico had figured he’d never meet one. Not a _real_ angel.

But according to Jason, there was one. Right in front of them. Buying ice cream.

Nico vaguely wondered what kind of ice cream would be holy enough for an angel.

Vanilla, maybe?

“We should buy some ice cream then,” Nico said, smacking Jason’s ankle with his cane. “Let’s go.”

They maneuvered through the crowd towards the ice cream vender. The angel’s presence grew stronger. Nico eyed his soul. There was nothing battered about it. Cleanly red and pretty.

“He’s not a returned spirit,” Nico muttered. He eyed the soul a little harder. “Or a creature of the Underworld.”

“No,” Jason agreed. “I doubt they would eat chocolate-covered ice cream bars.”

“So, what is he?” Nico wondered. This wasn’t a soul he’d sensed before. It wasn’t human or monster. Or _dead_. Just living and unknown. Perhaps a god. Their souls tended differ in aura, in sense. But not by much.

A spirit _of_ something, perhaps?

They got within a few feet of the man when he vanished. Nico jerked, surprised, but Jason was following something, leaning over Nico’s head. Nico glanced in the same direction. A massive structure loomed before them. Nico could feel the backdraft of warm wind flushing ahead of them

Something about that nagged in the back of his head.

He wanted to leave.

“I’m betting that’s the palace,” Jason said, ignoring what Nico wouldn’t say aloud. “Come on.”

Jason grabbed Nico’s wrist, despite his protests, and dragged him along to the palace. It surely would’ve been impressive…if he could _see_ it. Still, he could tell it was one of the nicer ruins he’d been to. Clean by its smell and warm by how the sun pitched in through the crumbling columns lining it and the wide arched windows.

Ahead of them, swarmed a group of tourists. Jason was still craning, trying to spot whatever he was following. Finally, he dropped back to Nico’s side.

“We’ve got to catch him,” Jason said. His arm looped around Nico’s side for some reason. “Hold on.”

“But-”

Jason heaved them both into the air. Nico gave a muffled sort of yell. He didn’t like being in the air. Not at all. He let all his weight drop, determined to get back to the ground even if he meant he had to _fall_ there, but Jason was ridiculously strong.

He didn’t even seem to notice.

Finally, they landed on the other side of the palace. Nico shoved away from Jason. “The peristyle,” he said, as familiarity drooped over him. “This was the entrance to Diocletian’s private residence.” He looked at it a little while more before scowling deeply. “Also, I don’t like being touched. Don’t _ever_ grab me again.”

Unconsciously, Jason took a step back. “Uh, okay. Sorry.” He glanced around. “How do you know what this place is called?”

Nico tapped his cane to the ground. “I’ve been here before. With my mother and Bianca. A weekend trip from Venice.” He paused, trying to link up his thoughts and pulsing faded memories. “I was maybe… six?”

“That was when… the 1930s?”

“Thirty-eight or so,” Nico said without thought. He blinked and scowled. “Why do you care? Do you see that angel anywhere?”

Jason’s eyes dragged from where they were boring into Nico’s head and scanned the atrium. “No…” He cleared his throat and looked back at Nico. “I just… I can’t imagine how weird that must be, coming from another time.”

“No, you _can’t_.” Nico closed his eyes. No need for aggression. He inhaled deeply. “Look… I don’t like talking about it. Honestly, I think Hazel had it worse. She remembers more about when she was young. She had to come back from dead and adjust to the modern world. Me…” He faded a little, curling into himself. “Me and Bianca, we were stuck at the Lotus Hotel. Time passed so quickly. In a weird way, that made the transition easier.”

“Percy told me about that place,” Jason said. “Seventy years but it only felt like a month?”

Nico clenched his fingers tight around the handle of his cane. Sour feelings curdled through his chest like rotten milk. “Yeah. I’m sure Percy told you all about me.”

Well, that cinched it then. Percy told them things. The negative side of things. That’s why they were all so squirrelly around him all the time.

He shoved back the quaver in knees.

All he wanted to do was to help and Percy did _this_? And still, Nico couldn’t help but feel-

He blocked everything in his head, eyes snapping from the ground to the windows above them. _Lemures_ hovered. He focused on that.

“Roman dead are everywhere here,” he said. “Lares. _Lemures_. They’re watching.” He clicked his tongue to the roof his mouth. “They’re angry.”

“At us?”

“At everything.” Nico tapped into the restless souls before him then pointed to a small stone building. “That used to be a temple to Jupiter. The Christians changed it to a baptistery. The roman ghosts don’t like that.” Another burst of complaints. Nico swung his arm eat without looking. “And over there… That was the mausoleum of the emperor.”

“But his tomb isn’t there anymore,” Jason guessed.

The ghosts whispered affirmation. Nico dragged his tongue over his teeth, reaching out and sensing nothing. “Not for centuries,” he said. “When the empire collapsed, the building was turning into a Christian cathedral.”

Jason swallowed audibly. “So, if Diocletian’s ghost is still around here-”

“He’s probably not happy.”

Another burst of warm wind rustled past. Leaves fluttered. Food wrappers flushed around the peristyle. An uneasy tension scattered up Nico’s spine again.

Something awful was about to happen.

Without pause, he slushed his senses as far down into the earth they could reach, bypassing the Earth and shifting right into the ghostly planes of Tartarus. Percy was struggling but he was otherwise fine. Which meant Nico’s bad feelings-

He swallowed thickly.

“That way.” Jason pointed. Then froze. Then gently gestured in a sweeping motion from Nico to the direction he meant. “The winged guy. Stairs.” He licked his lips. “Where do you think they lead?”

Nico ran his thumb over his cane handle. It throbbed, shimmering ever so slightly as his blade flashed brief in the sun. It solidified over, remaining as it was. But he grinned viciously.

“Underground,” he said. “My favourite place.”

* * *

 

Jason guided Nico down the steps, his sword drawn out and glowing. They passed into a vast cellar, untouched by human hands in centuries, and ventured deeper into the cavern. Dust wrinkled the walls and columns. Suddenly Jason paused, hands scrabbling at his pockets.

“Note,” he said. “For Reyna.”

Nico drew his own sword from his cane as Jason wrote. The shadows lingered against his skin. They moved of their own accord, drawing close to him and lapping into his sword. He liked the darkness.

It told him what was coming.

“Hello!”

As he raised his sword defensively, Nico’s insides squirmed. That voice was… _pretty_.

To his left, Jason swung his sword and cut the head of a statue clean off. It toppled over and shattered to the floor. Dust and marble fragments burst into the air. Nico scowled and turned to the voice behind them.

“That wasn’t very nice,” the angel said. He smelled like fruit and was tossing something in the air. It glittered loosely with every toss. “I mean, what did Diocletian ever do to you?”

The air at Jason’s feet swirled. Marble shards tornadoed together, spinning back to the pedestal they’d laid upon before and reassembling together. Jason lowered his sword.

“It was an accident. You startled me.”

The angel laughed. Nico twisted his foot back. “Jason Grace, the West Wind has been called many things… warm, gently life-giving and _devilishly_ handsome.” His voice turned melodiously joking. “But I have never been called _startling_. I leave that crass behaviour to my gusty brethren in the north.”

Nico inched backwards, suddenly aware and suddenly terrified. “The West Wind? You mean you’re-”

“Favonius,” Jason cut in. “God of the West Wind.”

Zephyros bowed. His soul turned a happy pink. “You can call me by my Roman name, certainly, or Zephyros, if you’re Greek. I’m not hung up about it.”

Nico scowled. “Why aren’t your Greek and Roman sides in conflict, like the other gods?”

“Oh, I have the occasional headache,” Zephyros said dismissively. “Some mornings I’ll wake up in a Greek _chiton_ when I’m sure I went to sleep in my SPQR pajamas. But mostly the war doesn’t bother me. I’m a minor, you know. Never really been much in the limelight. The to-and-fro battles among you demigods don’t affect me as greatly.”

“So…” Jason twitched, his sword glinting, as though he wasn’t sure if he should put it away yet or throw it at the god. “What are you doing here?”

“Several things!” Zephyros chirped. He snapped his fingers. “Hanging out with my basket of fruit. I always carry a basket of fruit. Would you like a pear?”

“I’m good. Thanks.”

Zephyros hummed. “Let’s see… earlier I was eating ice cream. Right now, I’m tossing this quoit ring.” The ring glittered as he tossed it into the air again.

Part of Nico hoped it would smack him in the face. Every instinct in his body was screaming out a repetitive, _Not good, not good, run, run!_

“I mean, why do you appear to us?” Jason pointed his sword at Zephyros. “Why did you lead us to this cellar?”

“ _Oh!_ Right! The sarcophagus of Diocletian. Yes.” He caught the ring on his wrist and gestured loosely, the sunlight pouring through the barred windows, casting a golden glow against him. “This was its final resting place. The Christians moved it out of the mausoleum. Then some barbarians destroyed the coffin. I just wanted to show you that what you’re looking for isn’t here. My mast has taken it.”

“Your master?” Jason shook his head rapidly. “Please tell me your master isn’t Aeolus.”

Zephyros huffed, offended. “ _That_ airhead?” He snorted. “No, of course not.”

“He means Eros,” Nico said coldly. “Cupid, in Latin.”

His feet yearned to run but Zephyros was blocking his only exit.

“Very good, Nico di Angelo,” the angel said. “I’m glad to see you again, by the way. It’s been a _long_ time.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “I’ve never met you.”

“You’ve never _seen_ me,” Zephyros corrected. Nico could almost hear the smirk in his voice. “But I’ve been watching you.” Creepy. “When you came here as a small boy, and several times since. I knew _eventually_ you would return to look upon my master’s face.”

His blood rushed out of his face. Suffocation built in around him. His feet were still stuck in place but frantically he glanced around, thinking desperately that he needed to _get out._

“Nico?” Jason’s voice was concerned. “What’s he talking about?”

“I don’t know,” Nico said quickly. Sweat dripped coldly down his spine. “Nothing.”

“Nothing?” Zephyros cried. “The one you care for most… _plunged_ into Tartarus and _still_ you will not allow the truth?”

Nico swallowed quickly, feeling like the devil was dancing on his chest. “We’ve only come for Diocletian’s scepter. Where is it?”

“Ah… You thought it would be as easy as facing Diocletian’s ghost?” Zephyros sighed. “I’m afraid not, Nico. Your trials will be _much_ more difficult.”

 _Why?_ Nico thought. _Why me? Why me? Why me?_

“You know,” Zephyros continued, seemingly oblivious to Nico’s pain and the urgency of this matter, “long before this was Diocletian’s Palace, it was the gateway to my master’s court. I’ve dwelt here for eons, bringing those who sought love into the presence of Eros.”

“Like Psyche, Cupid’s wife,” Jason said. “You carried her to his palace.”

Zephyros chuckled. “Very good, Jason Grace. From this exact spot, I carried Psyche on the winds and brought her to the chambers of my master. In fact-” He tapped a spot on the wall. A dull thud carried throughout the room. “-that is why Diocletian built _his_ palace here. This place has always been graced by the gentle West Wind. It is a spot of tranquility and love in a turbulent world When Diocletian’s Palace was ransacked-”

“You took the scepter,” Jason cut in.

“For safekeeping,” Zephyros said. “It is one of Eros’s many treasures. If you want it…” A short gust of warm wind tickled Nico’s cheek, carrying across a whisper to his ears. “You must face the god of love.”

“I’m blind,” Nico huffed, quickly. “I can’t _face_ anyone.”

Zephyros laughed again. “Oh, Nico.” The wind curved around his skin like a gentle touch, leaving Nico quaking.

“Nico, you can do this,” Jason urged. “It might be embarrassing, but it’s for the scepter.”

He didn’t _get it_. It wouldn’t be embarrassing. It’d be shameful.

Horrific.

Scarring.

It’d make Jason look at him with more disgust and horror than he already _did_.

Nico squared his shoulders. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe Eros just wanted to _chat_ , to remove whatever curse he’d laid down on Nico so many years ago. “You’re right,” Nico said. He couldn’t keep the shake out of his voice. “I-I’m not afraid of a love god.”

Zephyros _glowed_. “Excellent! Would you like a snack before you go?” He dropped and rummaged through the basket at his feet. “Oh, bluster. I keep forgetting my symbol is a basket of _unripe_ fruit. Why doesn’t the spring wind get more credit?” He sighed miserably. “Summer has _all_ the fun.”

“That’s okay,” Nico said quickly. “Just take us to Eros.”

Zephyros sighed again. The hoop on his finger spun around, glinting in the low sunlight. Wind bubbled up under his feet and Nico felt his whole body dissolve into air.

* * *

 

Being in the air was not fun. _Being_ the air was also not fun.

When they landed in the middle of some ruins, reforming back to normal, Nico had half a mind to launch his sword at Zephyros’s face and he’d would’ve if his body didn’t feel so clunky and out-of-sync.

“Yes, mortal bodies are _terribly_ bulky,” Zephyros said. The angel spread his swings out wide, catching the sun between the feathers. “Honestly, I don’t know how you stand it, day in and day out.”

Nico bit back a few biting remarks. Fear was making its way through his skin. He felt too hot and too cold at the same time, panic edging at the back of thoughts.

“Welcome to Salona,” Zephyros said. He gestured off into the distance. “Capital of Dalmatia! Birthplace of Diocletian! But before that, _long_ before that, it was the home of Eros.” He laughed low. “Or Cupid, for you, Jason Grace.”

Jason shifted awkwardly. The name seemed to bounce in the aim, echoing in such a way it seemed like the _ruins_ itself was whispering it. Nico looked around rapidly, stretching himself out to find ghosts. Nothing.

He swallowed thickly.

He remembered coming here.

He remembered _wanting_.

“Oh, he’s not like that,” Zephyros said.

Beside Nico, Jason flinched. “You can read my mind.”

“I don’t need to.” Zephyros tossed his quoit into the air again. _Everyone_ has the wrong impression of Eros…. until they meet him.”

Nico braced himself against a column. His legs were trembling. He needed to leave. Screw the scepter and their chances, he wanted to _go_. But he couldn’t muster enough control over himself to flee into the shadows.

“Hey, man…” Jason took a tentative step towards him.

Nico waved him off, sinking to the ground. Around him, death spread rapidly. The green grass turned brown. His presence was like a poison.

“Ah…” The wind caught Nico and heaved him back into a stand. He scowled but Zephyros continued on. “I don’t blame you for being nervous, Nico di Angelo. Do you know how _I_ ended up serving Eros?”

“I don’t serve anyone,” Nico snapped. Bile curdled up his throat. “Especially not Eros.”

Zephyros ignored him. “I fell in love with a mortal named Hyacinthus.” His voice slid dreamily. “He was _quite_ extraordinary.”

Confused, Jason asked, “He…?” A second passed back, a _painful_ , _painful_ second. “ _Oh…_ ”

“Yes, Jason Grace,” Zephyros said. “ _Oh_. I fell in love with a _dude_. Does that shock you?”

Nico wondered what would happen if he just burst into flames right then and there just _died_.

Jason shifted awkwardly. “I guess not.” He cleared his throat. “So… Cupid struck with his arrow and you fell in love.”

Zephyros snorted. “You make it sound so simple. Alas, love is never simple. You see-” He jumped down from where he was spread on the wall. “-the god Apollo also liked Hyacinthus. He claimed they were just friends. I don’t know. But one day I came across them together, playing a game of quoits-”

“Quoits?” Jason asked.

“A game with hoops,” Nico explained, his voice sourly brittle. “Like horseshoes.”

“Sort of,” Zephyros agreed, walking towards them. “At any rate, I was jealous. Instead of confronting them and finding out the truth, I shifted the wind and sent a metal ring right at Hyacinthus’s head and… well.” The god sighed, as though the death of his would-be lover was something of a sad but simple accident rather than a doing of his own hand. “As Hyacinthus died, Apollo turned him into a flower, the hyacinth. I’m sure Apollo would’ve taken horrible vengeance on me, but Eros offered me his protection. I’d done a terrible thing but I’d been driven mad by love, so he spared me on the condition that I work for him forever.”

 _EROS_.

The name echoed through the ruins again.

Nico shook.

“That would be my cue.” Zephyros turned back to the wall, collecting his basket. “Think long and hard about how you proceed, Nico di Angelo. You cannot lie to Eros. If you let your anger rule you… well, your fate will be even sadder than mine.”

The god disappeared in a swirl of red and gold. Nico shivered, despite the warm breeze left behind. The ground shook. He clenched his jaw, drew his blade and readied himself to face love.

_So._

The voice slid past Nico’s skin, burning cold against his cheek like white hot fire.

_You come to claim the scepter._

Nico backed up against Jason. Jason’s feet moved lightly over the ground, ready at a moment’s notice to strike. “Cupid! Where are you?”

Eros’s voice laughed. He sounded nothing like a cherub was supposed to. Soft and bubbly. Instead, he was deeply rich and malevolent, like the growl of a cat before it threw its claws into your face.

 _Where you least expect me_ , Eros hummed. _As Love always is._

Something slammed into Jason. He went hurtling across the street and Nico stumbled away, terrified. He bolted over to Jason who was splayed out at the base of some steps.

 _I would think you’d know better, Jason Grace_. Eros’s voice swirled in the air. _You’ve found true love, after all. Or do you still doubt yourself_?

Nico skipped a few steps, jumping to the bottom and landing painfully on the heels of his feet. “You okay?”

Jason accepted the help up and rose to his feet. “Yeah,” he grunted. “Just got sucker punched.”

 _Oh,_ Eros laughed _. Did you expect me to play fair? I am the god of love. I am_ never _fair._

The air rippled in front of him. Something sharp glittered for Nico’s chest. Jason intercepted it, deflecting into the side. It hit the nearest wall and exploded. Shrapnels of limestone heaved at them in the blow of the blast.

Jason grabbed Nico and tugged him up the stairs, pulling him to one side. A column crashed right where he’d been standing.

“Is this guy Love or Death?” Jason growled.

 _Ask you friends_ , Eros said. _Frank, Hazel and Percy met my counterpart, Thanatos. We are not so different. Except Death is sometimes kinder._

Nico didn’t have time to muse on that. Instead, he thrust his sword out and yelled, “We just want the scepter! We’re trying to stop Gaea! Are you on the gods’ side or not?”

Something landed right between his feet and glowed intensely. Nico staggered back as the ground exploded into a hot burst of flames. It shot up like geyser and didn’t cease. The light burned at his retinas. He stumbled back, snatching an array of shadows from behind and ghosting them over his eyes like sunglasses.

 _Love is on every side,_ Eros said. _And no one’s side. Don’t ask what Love can do for you._

“Great,” Jason huffed bitterly from behind the geyser of flame. “Now he’s spouting greeting card messages.”

There was a hissing grunting and Eros’s voice was back. _Very good, Jason. At least you can sense my presence. Even a glancing hit at true love is more than most heroes can manage._

“So now I get the scepter?” Jason asked, though there wasn’t a lick of hope in his voice.

Nico edge along the wall as Eros laughed again. _Unfortunately, you could not wield it. Only a child of the Underworld can summon the dead legions. And only an officer of Rome can lead them._

“But…” Jason wavered. Nico grit his teeth as he rounded the flames. They didn’t have _time_ for whatever crisis Jason was going through. “Just leave that to us. Nico can summon-”

Another thing shot down, glimmering just past Jason’s blob. It sank right into Nico’s arm. He gasped, pained. He reached out with his free hand, ready to grasp whatever it was and pull it out before it could _do_ anything to him but it had vanished. HE couldn’t feel any blood dripping down his arm but he could feel _something_ tugging in his chest.

Something he didn’t like.

“Enough games!” Nico shouted. “Show yourself!”

 _It is a costly thing_ , Eros said, _looking on the true face of Love._

Nico knew that.

He’d _been_ known that.

Ever since he climbed those steps seventy years ago and just _asked_ , _begged._

Ever since he let himself _want_.

Caught up in his own mind, he could barely focus on what was happening, Cupid laughing violently and Jason yelling pointless taunts. Thunder echoed overhead. Lighting flashed down, bursting a crater several feet away.

For a moment, there was silence.

Had Jason-

An invisible force slammed into him. Jason went flying across the ground. To the road, his sword skittered away.

 _A good try_ , Eros mused. _But Love cannot be pinned down so easily._

A wall collapsed. Jason just barely rolled out of the way.

“Stop it!” Nico yelled. “It’s me you want! Leave him alone!”

The voice turned on him. _Poor Nico di Angelo,_ Eros sighed with thick disappointment. _Do you know what_ you _want, much less I want? My beloved Psyche risked everything in the name of Love. It was the only way to atone for her lack of faith. And you_. The voice echoed a bitter laugh. _What have you risked in my name?_

Nico trembled. “I’ve been to Tartarus and back,” he snarled. “You don’t scare me.”

Eros rippled beside him, his voice echoing in the air and yet whispering softly into Nico’s ear. _I scare you very, very much. Face me. Be honest_.

The force vanished from his side and Nico shook. A plague of death oozed from the soles of his feet. The ground cracked beneath his feet, a dozen of the Roman dead trying to rip their way out on Nico’s command.

Shaking, Nico said, “Give us Diocletian’s scepter. We don’t have time for games.”

 _Games_? Eros shoved Nico to the side. He crashed into a pedestal. Blood filled his mouth, rusty and bitter. _Love is no game!_ _It is not flowery softness. It is hard work, a quest that never ends_. _It demands everything from you. Especially the truth. Only then does it yield rewards_.

Nico couldn’t be honest.

He _couldn’t_.

The truth- It wasn’t _good!_

“Nico,” Jason called out, “what does this guy _want_ from you?”

 _Tell him, Nico di Angelo_ , Eros demanded. _Tell him you are a coward, afraid of yourself and your feelings. Tell him the real reason you ran from Camp Half-Blood and why you are always alone._

Shame drenched in Nico’s skin. It curled around him like a tight coil and _choked_ him. Pulling everything he had twisted out inside him, he screamed. The ground cracked open before him. The dead spilled, Roman soldiers with glints of armor still stuck to their bodies, Roman civilians with rotted togas cloaked over them.

He forced them forward. _Find him_ , he demanded.

It didn’t matter though.

Eros had already won.

 _Will you hide among the dead, as you always do_? his voice hissed and Nico shook.

Darkness rolled off of him. Within it carried shame. Regret. Despair. Overwhelming hatred. He tried to fall back into it, tried to hide but it was too late. His memories pushed to the forefront of his mind. His arm tingled. And it all kept playing out.

Percy saving him, Percy promising him, Percy betraying him.

How much Nico wanted to _please him_ anyway.

His eyes.

Pretty, pretty _green_.

 _I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry._ For every mistake Nico had made. Every time Percy had turned away from him. For letting him fall.

_Please._

Nico shook, screaming again. Percy’s soul overtook his sight, soft and _gorgeous_ and blue and bright and everything Nico wanted to _have_.

 _Love me_.

Eros laughed somewhere to the left, grunting slightly as the skeletons grabbed at him. _Interesting! Do you have the strength after all?_

Nico trembled where he stood. Memories faded.

Everything felt cold.

And he was split open.

He was split open.

“I left Camp Half-Blood because of love,” he said. He felt numb. “Annabeth…” He swallowed thickly, scared. Like a child. “She-”

 _Still hiding_ , Eros snarled. He smashed another skeleton to bits. _You do not have the strength_.

“Nico,” Jason breathed. “It’s okay. I get it.”

Nico turned to him, turned and stared at Jason, something. How could he say that?

_He didn’t understand._

“No,” Nico bit out, “you don’t.” His fingers shook. “There’s no way you can understand.”

 _And so, you run away again_ , Eros chided. _From you friends, from yourself_.

Nico turned to his skeletons, to where they were fighting. To him. To Eros. “I don’t have friends!” he yelled. “I left Camp Half-Blood because I don’t belong!” He tightened his hands into fists. “I’ll never belong!”

His skeletons had Eros pinned but the god laughed so violently cruel that it seemed like he was still winning somehow.

Like broken glass, Nico felt shattered. “I-I wasn’t in love with Annabeth.”

“You were jealous of her,” Jason said slowly, understanding dawning on him. “That’s why you didn’t want to be around her. Especially why you didn’t want to be around… him. It makes total sense.”

Nico squeezed his eyes shut. Everything was beating himself up from the inside. He sank to his knees, winded. The blackness that had overcome everything melted into shadows. The skeletons crumbled away to dust. “I hated myself.” His lips shook. “I hated Percy Jackson.”

In front of him, the air shook. Eros built himself together quickly, merging out of the air instead of fading to visibility. He seemed satisfied.

He was probably gorgeous.

Nico knew Aphrodite tended to look like the person you loved. He wondered what he would’ve seen in Eros, if he could see.

Ashamed, he looked away. “I had a crush on Percy. That’s the truth.” He squeezed his wrist. “That’s the big secret.” From under his lashes, he glowered in Eros’s direction. “Happy now?”

For the first time, Eros voice gleaned sympathetic. “Oh, I wouldn’t say Love always make you happy.” He sounded like Percy. Soft and gruff and _perfect_. Nico twisted into himself, wanting to shy away from the noise. “Sometimes it makes you incredibly sad. But at least you’ve _faced_ it now.” He gestured outwardly. “That’s the only way to conquer me.”

A gust of wind blew past and with it, he vanished.

Where he had stood laid an ivory staff. Nico snatched it off the ground quickly and glanced nervously at Jason. “If the others found out-”

“If the other found out,” Jason interrupted, “you’d have that many more people to back you up and to unleash the fury of the gods on anybody who gives you trouble.”

Nico scowled. He didn’t _need_ soft words. Just Jason’s assurance he wouldn’t _say_ anything.

“But it’s your call,” Jason added quickly. “Your decision to share or not. I can only tell you-”

“I don’t feel that way anymore,” Nico muttered, looking away. “I mean…” He ran his thumb over the ridges of the scepter and stared at the ball of marble perched atop it. “I gave up on Percy. I was young and impressionable and I-I don’t…”

His voice cracked and he shut his mouth quickly, refusing to even glimpse at Jason. Just turned away and stayed miserable.

He was such a loser.

“Nico,” Jason started, voice soft, “I’ve seen a lot of brave things. But what you just did? That was maybe the bravest.”

Nico shifted, uncomfortable and uncertain. He just wanted to stop talking about it. “We should get back to the ship.”

“Yeah, I can fly us-”

“No.” Nico started moving to the darkest parts of the cave, the parts that called out to him and whispered _home_. “This time we’re shadow-traveling. I’ve had enough of the winds for a while.”

* * *

Exhausted from waiting around for nothing, Nico stepped into the shadows that lingered against the mast and vanished from the yardarm. He slid up behind Jason. An annoyed part of him scowled when Jason didn’t jump like normal.

“Any word from the king?” he asked, crossing his arms.

“No. every day he calls for me later and later.”

Nico scowled deeper. “We need to leave. Soon.”

Jason turned to face him fully. “You sense something?”

Honing on Percy’s soul had become second-nature by now. Something Nico tried not to think about too deeply. Honestly, he could probably sense Hazel’s soul from across the world if he tried to look for it. It didn’t mean anything.

“Percy is close to the Doors,” he said. “He’ll need us if he’s going to make it through alive.” Annabeth was hopefully with him but Nico wasn’t familiar enough with her soul to find it amongst the layers of Tartarus and earth that were shoved between him and them.

“All right,” Jason said. “But if we can’t repair the ship-”

“I promised I’d lead you to the House of Hades,” Nico said. Shadows curled around his ankles. “One way or another, I will.”

Jason stepped close to him. “You can’t shadow-travel with all of us. And it _will_ take all of us to reach the Doors of Death.”

The orb on the scepter glowed bright purple with Nico’s annoyance. “The you’ve _got_ to convince the king of the South Wind to help.” He tightened his fist over the staff. “I didn’t come all this way, suffer so many humiliations…”

Eros’s voice looped back into his mind.

He scowled deeper.

“Look, Nico,” Jason said, his voice tinged to an authoritative _calm_. “I’m here if you want to talk about, you know, what happened in Croatia. I get how difficult-”

The air turned cold as the scepter glowed a deeper purple. “You don’t get anything.”

“Nobody’s going to judge you.”

His lips twisted into a violent sneer, voice harsh. “Really? That would be a first. I’m the son of _Hades_ , Jason. I might as well be covered in blood or sewage, the way people treat me. I don’t belong anywhere. I’m not even from this _century_.  But that’s not enough to set me apart.” His arms shook, the scepter dragging cold air everywhere he pushed it. “I’ve got to be-” Unable to get the words out, he spluttered. “-to be-”

“Dude!” Jason cut in. “It’s not like you’ve got a choice. It’s just who you are.”

“Just who I am,” Nico retorted bitterly. Beneath his feet, the balcony trembled, carrying the weight of his anger. “Easy for you to say. You’re everybody’s golden boy, the son of _Jupiter_. The only person who ever accepted _me_ was Bianca and she _died!_ ” Nico’s hands shook violently. “I didn’t choose any of this. My father, my feelings…”

Jason raised his hands in surrender. “Yeah, okay. But, Nico, you _do_ choose how to live your life. You want to trust somebody. Maybe take a risk that I’m really your friend and I’ll accept you. It’s better than hiding.”

Something snapped together into his mind. Like the last piece of the puzzle. Beneath them, the floor cracked open, a tiny crevice hissing cold streams of Underworld air. Around Nico, the air shimmered with ghostly light.

“Hiding?” Nico whispered, voice almost silent and softly hard.

Jason stared at him. “Yes, hiding. You’ve run away from both camps. You’re so afraid you’ll get rejected that you won’t even try. Maybe it’s time you come out of the shadows.”

Jason didn’t get it.

Nico relaxed his body. The fissure in the floor closed and the lighting faded away. “I’m going to honour my promise,” he said, keeping his voice not much higher than a whisper so Jason would be forced to shut up and _listen_. “I’ll take you to Epirus. I’ll help you close the Doors of Death. Then that’s it. I’m leaving.” He twisted to the side. “Forever.”

 _Until death_ , he thought. _And then on_.

* * *

 

The House of Hades was open.

Nico could feel it in the pit of his stomach and as the Argo II grew closer and closer to the source of the black flashes of lightning, the feeling grew stronger.

The Argo II docked over a river, hovering just above it. Black smoke shied ahead atop a hill. It tunneled its way into the sky. Another dark surge of blackened energy slammed down from the sky and into the veil. A freezing shockwave sailed across the landscape and rocked the ship.

“The Necromanteion,” Nico said, unfazed. “The House of Hades.”

“I feel vulnerable floating up here like this,” Piper said. “Couldn’t we set down in the river?”

“I wouldn’t.” Hazel pointed to the murky waters below them. “That’s the River Acheron.”

Jason leaned over the railing to gaze at the waters like somehow, they’d confirm whether they really were. “I thought the Acheron was in the Underworld.”

“It is,” Hazel said. “But its headwaters are in the mortal world. Eventually it flows underground straight into the realm of Pluto.” She shook her head. “Hades. Landing a demigod ship on those waters-”

“Yeah, let’s stay up here,” Leo said. “I don’t want zombie water on my hull.”

Fishing boats puttered along downstream. A pang went out in Nico’s chest. Must’ve been nice to be a regular mortal. Little worry about fighting a godly war or resting your boat within a river.

Nico tucked the scepter of Diocletian into the air. Faintly the orb glowed purple. He dropped it back to his side. For the last few days, he’d kept it at his side. It substituted as a makeshift cane for him, letting him maintain his sword within a belt fixed to his side. He’d been practicing a while below deck, trying to figure out how to fight while holding the scepter.

It’d been tough but he’d managed a method that worked.

Fight with _both_ weapons.

A little lacking in classiness, given the prestige of the orb but the only way he could maintain focus on it while concentrating on staying alive as well.

“So, uh, Nico…” Frank gestured loosely at the scepter. “Have you learned to use that thing?”

“We’ll find out.” Nico continued to watch the darkness curving over the hilltop. “I don’t intend to try until I have to. The Doors of Death are already working overtime bringing in Gaea’s monsters. Any more activity raising the dead and the Doors might shatter permanently, leaving a rip in the mortal world that can’t be closed.”

Coach Hedge grunted. “I hate rips in the world. Let’s go bust some monster heads.”

Frank cleared his throat. “Coach, you should stay on board, cover us with the ballistae.”

Hedge stamped his hoof against the floor. “Stay behind? Me? I’m your best solider!”

 _To who?_ Nico thought.

“We might need air support,” Frank pointed out. “Like we did in Rome. You saved our _braccae_.”

Hedge shifted, happily remembering his help in their victory. “Well… I suppose somebody’s got to save your _braccae_.”

“So that’s settled,” Jason said, clapping the satyr’s shoulder. “Everybody else! Let’s get to the ruins. Time to crash Gaea’s party.”

* * *

 

Nico led the party up the hill. The pull to his father’s temple made it easy for him to navigate between the crowds of tourists climbing in and around the ruins. He swung himself over a wall and down into a trench, right to a stone doorway leading straight into the side of hill. The storm of inky darkness swirled right above their heads. It froze the air burning cold.

Nico shook out his arms and turned to the group. “From here, it gets touch.”

“Sweet,” Leo said. “Cause so far I’ve totally been pulling my punches.”

Nico glowered in his direction. “We’ll see how long you keep your sense of humor. Remember, this is where pilgrims came to commune with dead ancestors. Underground, you may see things that are hard to look at or hear voices trying to lead you astray in the tunnels.” He held out a hand. “Frank, do you have the barley cakes?”

“What?”

“I’ve got the cakes,” Hazel said quickly, pulling out a baggie of barley crackers and handing them out.

“Eat up,” Nico urged before shoving his into his mouth

They tasted stale and like wood. Nico grimaced and swallowed dryly. “Okay. That should protect us from the poison.”

“Poison?” Leo asked, grinding down Nico’s nerves to the last bone. “Did I miss the poison? Cause I love poison.”

“Soon enough,” Nico promised, thinking to himself how nice it would be to force it down Leo’s throat with his own hands. “Just stick close together, and maybe we can avoid getting lost or going insane.”

On that pleasant note, Nico turned and walked them through doors and into the underground. The tunnel spiraled in a loose downward slope. The drop was so subtle, it wasn’t until the cold burst of being fully underground hit him that he realized they’d been moving down rather than just forward.

Partly beside him, Hazel ran her fingers over the walls. “This wasn’t part of a temple,” she whispered. “This was… the basement for a manor house, built later in Greek times.”

That was always a very nice addition to Hazel’s powers. He bumped her hand with his free one and kept tapping away at the ground.

Behind him, Frank quaked. “A manor house? Please don’t tell me we’re in the wrong place.”

“The House of Hades is below us,” Nico assured. He could feel the pull growing stronger the father down they walked. “But Hazel’s right, these upper levels are much newer. When they archaeologists first excavated this site, they thought they’d found the Necromanteion. Then they realized the ruins were too recent so they decided it was the wrong spot. They were right the first time. They just didn’t dig deep enough.”

They turned a corner. The scepter’s end hit a huge block of stone. Nico pressed his hands along it and took a step back.

“A cave-in?” Jason asked.

“A test,” Nico corrected. He gestured to the side with the scepter. “Hazel, would you do the honours?”

Hazel skirted forward and tentatively pressed her hands to the rock. In seconds the entire boulder had crumbled to dust.

Above them, the tunnel ceiling faltered. Cracks spread along the walls. Nico ignored it, waiting for the rumbling to stop. Another test. Another trial.

When the dust settled, he led them through the newly emerged hole and further into the tunnel. A set of stairs carved deep into the earth. They traipsed towards it.

“I really don’t like cows,” Piper muttered.

“Agreed,” Frank muttered.

Nico twisted his sight to the walls everyone was staring at, stilling maneuvering down. “Those are probably the cattle of Hades,” he said, trying to see through the low light their swords offered. Black paint glinted briefly but he couldn’t make out what was there. “It’s just a symbol of-”

“Look.” Frank pointed off to the staircase.

A golden chalice gleamed. Nico paused. That hadn’t been there before. He licked his lips.

The poison.

“Hooray,” Leo said, giving a weak fist bump to the air. “I suppose that’s our poison.”

Nico lifted the chalice. It smelled bitter. “We’re standing at the ancient entrance of the Necromanteion. Odysseus came here and dozens of other heroes, seeking advice from the dead.”

“Did the dead advise them to leave immediately?” Leo asked.

“I would be fine with that,” Piper admitted.

Rolling his eyes, Nico drank from the chalice. The taste of the poison burned down his throat like acidic vinegar. He licked his lips and thrust it out to Jason. “You asked me about trust and taking a risk. Well, here you go. son of Jupiter. How much do you trust me?”

Jason didn’t spare a moment. He grabbed the chalice firmly from Nico’s hand and drank a gulp before passing it on to the next person.

Nico decided it’d be best not to focus on what kind of answer _that_ was.

In Frank’s hands, the final of the poison was drunk. The chalice steamed and vanished into curling green smoke.

Nico nodded. “Congratulations. Assuming the poison doesn’t kill us, we should be able to find our way through the Necromanteion’s first level.”

“ _Just_ the first level?” Piper muttered.

Nico smiled grimly and turned to Hazel, gesturing loosely to the stairs with his free hand. “After you, sister.”

* * *

 

Hazel was perfect for loping through mysterious underground tunnels and finding spots that _wouldn’t_ collapse instantaneously and crush them all to death. The farther they went down, the darker everything grew and the stronger the smell of death slucked at them. Nico wound out tugging his sword out earlier than he’d desired, shifting through the narrow tunnels with one hand fisted around the scepter of Diocletian and one hand tight around the handle of his sword.

The tunnels were _old_. Dust lingered on them, cobwebs without spiders clung to every corner. Walking felt like shifting through a pile of sand. Natural erosion of the stone that built the walkway caused rubble to sift off the ceilings and walls and into their hair.

“This is the entrance to the second level,” Hazel said, pausing behind Frank who’d strangely placed himself in front of the doorway. She tapped his wrist. “I better take a look.”

“Uh, yeah…” Frank shifted backwards.

Tracing over the skulls that lined the entrance way, Hazel stood there dutifully. “No traps on the doorway but… something strange is here My underground sense is-is _fuzzy._ Like someone is working against me, hiding what’s in front of us.”

“The sorceress Hecate warned us about?” Jason guess, voice tentative. “The one Leo saw in his dream? What was her name?”

“It would be safer not to say her name,” Hazel said. “But stay alert. One thing I’m sure of: From this point on, the dead are stronger than the living.”

Everyone seemed extremely wary, their bodies alive with fright. They twitched haphazardly.

The dead were calling to them.

Frank shifted. “Where are the monsters? I thought Gaea had an army guarding the Doors.”

“Don’t know,” Jason said. “At this point I’d almost prefer a straight-up fight.”

“Careful what you wish for man.” Leo summoned a ball of fire in one hand that lit up the entirety of the portion of the cavern they were stuck in. “Personally, I’m hoping nobody’s home. We walk in, find Percy and Annabeth, destroy the Doors of Death and walk out. Maybe stop at the gift shop.”

“Yeah,” Frank said. “That’ll happen.”

The tunnel vibrated again. Nico’s gut pulled, the stench of Tartarus low but burning. Rubble rained down from the ceiling. Hundreds of miles below, Percy’s soul was coursing, Annabeth’s right beside. They were fighting their way to the Doors.

In the back of his mind, Nico had the vaguest sense something terrible was about to happen to them.

“These passageways won’t take much more,” Hazel said.

“The Doors of Death just opened again,” Nico said.

“It’s happening like every fifteen minutes,” Piper noted.

Nico shook his head. “Every twelve.” He squared his shoulders. “We’d better hurry. Percy and Annabeth are close. They’re in danger. I can sense it.”

As they traveled deeper, the amount of negative space around Nico increased. The walls slid further and further apart and the ceilings rose higher and higher up. In any other setting, a huge amount of space would’ve been relaxing but without having stumbled past a monster in the forty-five or so minutes they’d been travelling, Nico felt agitatedly.

Smaller space, easier to fight and kick ass, lesser chance of a monster rearing out from nowhere and barreling into him.

To maintain some level of confidence, he reached out to the shadows that covered the rooms they were in, touching the corners and gently grazing along. It was tedious and exhausting but he felt safer for it.

Piper stepped on a ceramic plate, crushing it dust under her foot. When she stepped back, she kicked a silver coin to the side. “Offerings?”

“Yes,” Nico said, pulling his senses back so he could reorient himself to answer the question. “If you wanted your ancestors to appear, you had to make an offering.”

“Let’s _not_ make an offering,” Jason suggested. Tension wracked his soul like a mask.

Nobody else argued against it.

“The tunnel from here is unstable,” Hazel warned as she drew her arm back from the walls. “The floor might… well, just follow me. Step _exactly_ where I step.”

Nico slid up behind her, catching the collar of her shirt. She made her way forward, everyone else tagging closely behind.

“Frank?” Jason whispered. “Hazel, hold up a second. Frank, what’s wrong?”

Hazel twisted her head over her shoulder as Frank murmured, “Nothing.” His soul seemed lost, fading. “I just-”

“Frank, don’t move!” Hazel snapped.

Frank’s soul snapped back for half a second before fading away again, being called somewhere else. “Lead where?” he asked no one.

Well, no one the rest of them could hear.

“Uh, big guy?” Leo said, concerned. “Could you not freak out on us? Please and thank you.”

“I’m okay,” Frank mumbled. He cleared his throat and shifted back into line. “Just… a voice.”

Nico winced, tightening his grip on Hazel’s collar. “I _did_ warn you. It’ll only get worse. We should-”

Hazel’s hand snapped up. Nico fell quiet. She breathed for a moment then said, “Wait here, everybody.”

Nico dropped his hand from her shirt collar and let her venture off alone. He tagged onto her soul, keeping a careful watch. After a spattering of seconds that felt like hours, she came back, partly alarmed. “Scary room ahead. Don’t panic.”

“Those two things don’t go together,” Leo muttered but they all followed her deeper into the cavern.

The floor of the room was made up of gems. And human remains. Nico could sense the skeletons under his feet.

“Touch nothing,” Hazel said.

“Wasn’t planning on it,” Leo said, loudly shoving his free hand into his pocket and flapping it around.

Jason took a step out of line, looking at the darkness around them but never at the floor. “Which way now?”

Nico felt uncertain. “This should be the room where the priests invoked the most powerful spirits. One of these passages leads deeper into the temple, to the third level and the altar of Hades himself. But which-”

“That one,” Frank interjected. He swung his arm up, nearly clipping Nico’s cheek.

Nico glanced over to the passageway. It looked like all the others.

“Why that one?” Hazel asked.

Frank dropped his arm. “You don’t see the ghost?”

“Ghost?” Nico glanced back to the passageway. Nothing.

Frank inhaled like he was going to apologize when the floor vibrated. “We need to get to that exit! Now!”

Hazel caught him before he could bolt. “Wait, Frank! This floor is _not_ stable, and underneath… Well I’m not sure _what’s_ underneath. I need to scout a safe path.”

“Hurry, then!” he urged.

He drew his bow and herded Hazel and Nico along as fast as he dared. Leo scrambled behind him to provide lighting. Piper and Jason guarded the rear.

In seconds, the cavern shook. Monstrous roars clambered against the walls. Hundreds of enemies poured out from every direction, their cries amplified by the echoes.

“HAZEL, DON’T STOP!” Nico screeched above the noise.

Piper and Jason backed up around him, crowding him away from the monsters. Piper pushed him out of the way and up against a wall as a volley of stones erupted against the floor. The floor shattered as though made of glass. A fissure broke across the ground. Frank tackled Hazel and Leo, who’d skirted the opposite direction in the onslaught. They caught themselves at the edge of the passageway.

Nico slashed at a gryphon that flew overhead. Lorrie appeared at his side. She swore violently and yanked him out of the way of an _empousa_.

Across the way, Frank yelled, “Nico! The Scepter!”

Nico thrust the scepter into the air. The orb glowed purple, spreading the light all across the cavern. Ghosts climbed out of the fissures and seeped from the wall. They took on a more solid form, similar to Lorrie’s presence except visibly _seen_ but their souls rattled confused.

Behind him, Jason was calling out in Latin, yelling orders and commands to form ranks and attack. The dead seemed unperturbed, shuffling around meaningless. All it caused was confusion among the monsters who howled and slithered away from the ghostly auras.

It wouldn’t last long.

Nico cut down another _empousa_ and ducked as a gryphon attempted to snag ahold of his hair. Lorrie grabbed stones and chucked them at the monsters to no avail. Piper was darting forward and slashing at the creatures, left and right, yelling out in charmspeak but she couldn’t be heard among their howling cries.

Jason was still attempting to garner control of the Roman soldiers who were more interested in punching one another than the actual enemy before them. Every so often, one of them would miss and land a lucky shot against a monster but it wasn’t enough.

“You disappointments!” Lorrie yelled at one of them, chucking a rock through one of the soldiers’ heads.

It stumbled forward and fell into the chasm.

“Oh, you _useless_ mother-” She ducked and snatched Nico’s arm, yanking him out of the way as a Cyclopes attempt to club him. She chucked a stone at its leg. It froze in confusion, trying to find the source and Nico rolled forward and cut it down.

It exploded into goop around him.

He swung the scepter of Diocletian and yelled at group of legionnaires but they just look at him for a passing second then went back to arm-wrestling.

Hundreds of feet ahead of him, Frank yelled out, “Make way!”

The soldiers did but didn’t much else.

Nico swore and slashed off the wing of a gryphon, rolling out of the way of another Cyclops and ducking under the arm of another empousa. He swung his sword around and slice off her head. It rolled around the floor, still audibly screeching before it crumbled away along with the body.

He jabbed his sword at a couple of ghosts playing a game of patty-cake. “Do something!” he ordered. “Attack!”

They continued with their game.

“How the _fucking hell_ do they know that game?” Lorrie said in awe as she shoved Nico’s head down. He reared out from under her hand and sliced though the snake one who’d tried to punch him. She vanished.

“Stupid ghosts!” he shouted, kicking through one and feeling some kinds of vindication when it vanished, leaving his partner’s spirits mournful.

“They won’t listen!” Jason yelled in agreement.

Nearby, Frank yelled, “Cohorts! Lock shields!”

A handful of soldiers stumbled in line and locked their shield together. Nico stared briefly at it, confused. A cyclops battered him into the wall. Lorrie tugged him up and dragged him out the way of another attempt at death by clubbing.

Dazed, he stumbled away from the cyclops. His ears rang. He cut through another enemy soldier and leaned against the wall.

“Deep breaths,” Lorrie muttered.

She shoved her hands through his head. He choked and winced but the warm sluice of pain subsided at her cooling touch. Somewhere to the left, Jason yelled, “He means he can’ control a whole legion. He’s not of high enough rank!”

Nico swallowed thickly and slashed his sword through a gryphon. “Well then, promote him!”

Jason did. “Frank Zhang! I, Jason Grace, praetor of the Twelfth Legion Fulminata, give you my final order! I resign my post and give you emergency field promotion to praetor with the full powers of that rank. Take command of this legion!”

Immediately, Frank jabbed out his bow. “Legion, _argmen formate!”_

As the dead Romans finally relented and obeyed, Nico darted forward to Frank, Lorrie at his side. He slashed through hellhound that lunged at him.

“Archers!” Frank yelled. “ _Eiaculare flammas!_ ”

The archers let loose a stream of flaming death. Nico didn’t even _question_ where the flames came from, just pleased. He let out a cheerful whoop, Lorrie cursing up a storm at his side. “That’s more like it!” he yelled as fire rained on the other side of the chasm.  “Let’s turn this tide!”

“ _Cuneum formate!_ ” Frank yelled. “Advance with _pila_.”

The Roman soldiers moved accordingly. Nico ducked under the swing of a telkhine and kicked it in the stomach backwards. Lorrie smashed its head with a boulder and it exploded into dust. She loped back over to him and yanked him down as a hellhound jumped towards him.

He slung his sword out from his belt and cut it open from its stomach. The creature gave a pitiful _bark_ and collapsed to the ground in a mound of sticky yellow goop. Nico slung back and stabbed through Lorrie’s chest, right into the back of a nearby snake woman.

To his right, a stone bridge collapsed. Rock fell into the chasm, hitting the ground far below them, the sound booming and echoing through the cave.

“Jason,” Frank called out, “can you fly a few legionnaires across the pit? The enemy’s left flank is weak, see? Take it!”

A burst of electrical energy sparked through Jason’s skin. Crackles of lightning fluttered through the air. “With pleasure.”

Jason flew out of view. Frank turned to Nico, who was waiting for what was next, the few monsters that spilled to their sides dealt with and gone. “Nico,” Frank began, “keep trying to raise the dead. We need more numbers.”

Nico grinned wickedly. “On it.”

He heaved the scepter of Diocletian into the air. The orb sluiced a darker and darker purple. The air broke colder. More ghostly Romans seeped from the walls to join the fight. Skeletons began their ascent up the chasm’s walls, climbing over each other and chattering violently, ready to serve.

Across the way, _empousai_ shouted commands in languages that Nico didn’t get.

“Piper!” Frank yelled. “Counter those _empousai!_   We need some chaos!”

“Thought you’d never ask!” Piper yelled. She began running along the ridge, catcalling over the chasm in a sing-songy voice, “Your makeup is smeared! Your friend called you ugly! That one is making a face behind your back!”

Beside him, Lorrie was giggling. “I like her.”

Frank clapped his hands together. “Time to lead from the front,” he said. Nico nodded and readied himself for the charge.

Frank raised his sword into the air and yelled.

And into the battle, they ran.

* * *

 

At some point, Frank started glowing. Which would’ve been concerning if Nico wasn’t so busy trying not to die. Lorrie shoved him down and flipped off a confused Cyclops. It stared at her for half a second. Then Nico reared up and cut it half from its crotch to its head.

Frank’s soul had a reddish gleam around it too. He was pumped full of power, soul brighter and brighter than Nico had ever seen it. Or had ever seen a soul be before. It bordered on the edge of Jason’s or Thalia’s, similar in tone to Percy’s and Hazel’s. Determination to fight, to win for his people and for his friends.

Nico glanced away and sliced a telkhine in half. Another telkhine threw a pile of dirt at his face. Not bothering to shield himself, he darted right through the blow and stabbed her through the chest, right from where he could sense her monster soul blooming brightest. He bashed her head in with the orb. Instantaneously, she exploded into dust.

He thrust the orb back into the air, calling on more soldiers to fight. Hungry and bloodthirsty, they obeyed, falling to him, scrambling out of walls and reanimating themselves for one more fight, one more win. He felt their desire to conquer and fed into it.

The scepter’s glow finally turned pure black and blacker still the more he kept it in the air. The monsters around him backed away nervously. Lorrie stood in pure awe.

“This thing makes me want to punch a lot of things,” she said. “Is that good?”

Nico lowered it and steadied his grip over his sword as he eyed his next target. “Yes.”

He lunged.

The _empousa_ screeched in fear but he arced his sword over his head and cut her down, whirlwinding around and slicing right through the next one. An Earthborn tried to smack him but he grabbed their thick arm and pushed himself up over it. Vaulting through the air, he cut its head off and shoved his feet through the chest of another one.

The wet clay sank over his shoes. Wiggling his toes, he marked a point between his feet and stabbed at it. The Earthborn melted away. To his left, he snagged hold of a soul and pushed it as far out of the body he could. The body still living, the soul snapped right back. Disoriented, the monster stumbled. Nico cut its head off and then slashed through another Earthborn.

Pulling back, he followed Lorrie’s shimmer to the group. The battle was over.

Lorrie poked Nico’s cheek. “Big man has an arrow in his arm.”

Nico blinked. “Uh, Frank, you have an arrow sticking through your arm.”

“I know.” Something snapped and Frank sniffled as the shaft fell to the ground. “I’ll be fine.”

Even so, Piper shoved ambrosia into his mouth and began wrapping up his arm. “Frank, you were amazing. Completely terrifying, but amazing.”

Smiling ruefully, Nico eyed the scepter in his hand. The orb had turned a dull and murky purple once more. The power it had exuded was dormant. “The dead won’t stay much longer, now that the battle is over” he said.

Lorrie swished her cold fingers through his hair and vanished from his side. Frank patted his bandage then turned to face the troops. “Legion!” The soldiers clacked to attention. “You fought well,” he commended. “Now you may rest. Dismissed.”

They call crumbled away, disintegrating into mounds of dust. The armor, shields and weapons glint briefly and then vanished as though they too had crumbled into the dirt. Frank ran a troubled hand through his hair. His soul was shifting agitated. His body seemed sagged, as though the amount of power that had been shoved through him before had just been yanked completely out.

“Hazel and Leo,” he said. “We need to find them.”

Everyone eyed the passage way behind them. It was pointless. Nico may not have been as attuned to the earth and its properties as Hazel was but he was still a child of the Underworld. He knew there was nothing there, the tunnel entrance sealed off and gone.

“We can’t go that way,” he said. Something tugged in his gut but he ignored it, trying to focus. “Maybe…”

The thing tugged again and he stumbled. Jason caught him around the waist and held him up. He gripped Jason’s wrist tight.  Below, hundreds and hundreds of feet below, Percy’s soul was raging a storm. And Nico could feel the Doors of Death twisting. Something of _immense_ power was rumbling down in Tartarus. And he had the sick sense he knew what, or rather _who_ , it was.

“Nico!” Piper said. Her bag ruffled, the sound of plastic and the smell of ambrosia curling the air. “What is it?”

“The Doors,” he said. “Something’s happening. Percy and Annabeth….” He shook his head. “We need to go _now_.”

“But how?” Jason said. He tugged Nico up to a better stand. “That tunnel is _gone_.”

Frank stood a little straighter. His soul coursed green with nervous readiness. “It won’t be fun,” he started, “but there’s another way.”

* * *

 

Nico was used to travelling through darkness and being led by the dead. The only difference was he tended not to have a group of people filing around and behind him. A few feet ahead of him, Hazel’s soul, golden bright but wearily riddled with nerves, sang to him.

“Get ready,” he said immediately, pulling his sword out.

The others did the same. Like clockwork, Lorrie appeared beside him. In the closeness to death, they all could see her now. Jason jerked, sparking just a little bit. She winked at him teasingly then turned to the doorway that was forming through the air. Jason and Piper sidled up beside him.

He tightened his fist over his sword.

“Sorry we’re late,” Jason said. He pointed his sword at the figure in front of them. “Is this the guy who needs killing?”

The monster or giant or whatever the hell he was turned on them and the four of them darted forward.

“Keep to the smoke, Nico!” Lorrie cheered from his side. He slashed through the veil of black smoke that crept around the giant. His sword burned the air cold with every lick. Lorrie ducked behind him. “Lady Hecate, you know Queen P’s been looking for you, right?”

Hecate didn’t seem bothered by that.

Lorrie clicked her tongue to the roof of her mouth, disappointed. “And we go left!”

Nico spun left, avoiding the giant’s foot and cutting through another wave of inky darkness. He cut upwards, dispelling the smoke that syphered up the giant’s breastplate. Piper jabbed at it then ducked as Frank swung his sword over his head and stabbed.

Above, Jason was flying and kicking the giant in the face. Every so often, he let out a little burst of lightning from his skin that burned the giant’s face and set the hairs on Nico’s arm on edge.

“Jump!” Lorrie yelled.

Nico did just as race of fire missed the giant’s legs and almost hit his.

“Who the hell are you?” Leo yelled, barely adding a quick, “Sorry!” to Nico.

“Lorrie Hanover!” Lorrie introduced. “Ghostly fighting pal extraordinaire of her majesty, Queen Persephone-”

“Lorrie, now is not the time!” Nico snapped, just barely avoiding getting stepped on once more.

“Sorry!” she said, ducking under the giant and back to Nico’s side. He dodged right at her words and skirted back halfway, slicing through another wave of smoke.

Nico arced his sword through the air, feeling it soak in the rest of the darkness that exuded the giant. The smell of rust curdled through the air, heavy in its taste. The giant stumbled once.

“You should duck,” Lorrie suggested.

Nico did, dropping to his knees. Overhead Jason had launched himself at the giant and kicked him squarely in the chest. The giant staggered back. His sword clattered to the floor and he fell to his knees. Nico drew up and closed in on him.

He gave a pointed poke to Hecate’s soul. She batted his lightly but stepped forward, torches raised. Mist slithered around the giant like a vice.

“And so it ends,” Hecate said because, as Persephone liked to joke, dramatics meant a lot.

 _It does not end_ , the giant’s voice growled from somewhere above them, partly muffled and halfway slurred. _My brethren have risen. Gaea waits only for the blood of Olympus. It took all of you together to defeat me. What will you do when the Earth Mother opens her eyes?_

Uncaring, Hecate thrust her torches at him. Nico took a step back, the burst of heat warming his face and the light of the flames burning his eyes. Nico cut his eyes away from the sight. The giant was a bonfire, burning alive without a scream of vengeance. Finally, he fell, silent as a grave, into the rubble of an altar.

Nico’s stomach churned.

His father’s altar.

Ruined.

The giant’s body crumbled to ashes.

Lorrie faded partially but something gripped her in place and she stayed. Nico stared at the broken altar. She patted his wrist.

For a moment, it was simple silence. Everyone breathed in the sight of their victory, as slight as it was. Finally, Hecate turned to face them. “You should go now, Hazel Levesque. Lead your friends out of this place.”

Bitterness curled in Hazel’s voice, just barely concealing her anger. “Just like that? No ‘thank you’? No ‘good work’?”

Hecate regarded her quietly. “You look in the wrong place for gratitude. As for ‘good work’, that remains to be seen. Speed your way to Athens. Clytius was not wrong. The giants have risen. _All_ of them, stronger than ever. Gaea is on the very edge of waking. The Feast of Hope will be poorly named unless you arrive to stop her.”

Around them, the walls shook. The chamber rumbled. Lorrie snatched up Nico’s arm and yanked him back to the group just as something crashed to the floor and shattered.

“The House of Hades is unstable,” Hecate uttered through gritted teeth. “Leave now. We shall meet again.”

She vanished.

“She’s friendly,” Percy muttered.

Lorrie shrugged. “She’s a lot nicer when Persephone is around.”

Percy’s soul twisted like he’d suddenly remembered the last time he’d met her. The others turned to him and Annabeth, shifting over to them and reuniting. Nico bowed away, keeping to himself. Lorrie didn’t vanish but stayed quietly at his side. She stared at the pile of rubble that used to be Hades’ alter.

They were thinking the same thing, most likely. How unfair it was, at the end of it all. His father besmirched. _Again_.

Nico spared a glance up at Percy and Annabeth. The two had locked their arms around one another. Dry, Nico swallowed and looked back the ruined altar. Lorrie settled her hand on his back but said nothing. Just existed beside him.

His father had been lucky to find someone and the Fates seemed to determine to bash him as the bad guy despite all evidence to the contrary. The Fates _hated_ Nico just as much and they seemed to determine to through him into hellfire over and over again.

The luck of his father was a miracle. Nico highly doubted he’d follow in those footsteps.

“Hey,” Hazel called out to him, drawing him from his pained thoughts.

For a second, he hesitated but Lorrie pushed him and he stumbled over to Hazel’s side. He gathered her face into his hands and kissed the top of her head. She smiled.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” he murmured. “The ghosts were right.” He tucked a puff of her hair behind her ear. “Only one of us made it to the Doors of Death. You… you would have made Dad proud.”

She cupped her hands to his face. “We couldn’t have defeated Clytius without you,” she insisted.

Her thumb brushed under his eyes. He closed them, exhausted. He wanted nothing more than to sink into her arms and go to sleep. Get some rest. Take a well-deserved nap.

Once again, the Fates laughed at him and his request.

The ceiling shuddered. Cracks broke down in the remaining tiles. Lorrie swore and shoved Nico and Hazel out of the way.  A column crashed onto her, where they had just been standing, and she vanished completely with the blow. Dust spilled down from it.

“We’ve got to get out of here,” Jason said. “Uh, Frank…?”

Frank shook his head. “I think one favour from the dead is all I can manage today.”

“Wait, what?” Hazel asked.

Piper let out a quick laugh. “Your _unbelievable_ boyfriend called in a favour as a child of Mars. He summoned the spirits of some dead warriors, made them lead us here through… um, well, I’m not sure, actually.” She glanced back at Frank and Jason like she was trying to get some kind of affirmation from them. She turned back to Hazel. “The passages of the dead? All know is that it was _very, very_ dark.”

To the left, a section of the wall split open. Two shiny rubies popped off the skeleton carved into the stone and rolled across the wall. The wet smell of earth speckled above them. Bits of it fell into Nico’s hair.

“We’ll have to shadow-travel,” Hazel said, grabbing Nico’s hand.

He winced. “Hazel, I can barely manage that with only myself. With seven more people-”

“I’ll help you,” she said like she’d done it before, which he knew was a _lie_.

He was about to protest when an entire section of the ceiling broke down around them. “Everyone, grab hands!” he yelled.

He didn’t know if everyone was holding on as he summoned the shadows to coax around them. All he had was a light squeeze from Hazel and then he pulled them in.

* * *

 

The sunlight curled around them. Mentally, Nico tagged into everyone’s souls, counting _one, two, three, four, five, six, seven._ Hazel, Frank, Leo, Piper, Jason, Annabeth and…Percy.

Nico immediately dropped his hand and shifted away from him. Somewhere in front of him, Leo staggered backwards. “You know… I think I’ll sit down.”

He fell over. Everyone else joined them, save for Percy and Hazel who kept standing, Percy being used to the sensation and Hazel being okay with it as a daughter of Pluto.

Maybe there was something in Nico trying to pan for gold someday.

Finally, he let himself drop beside Hazel and drooped his face into her neck. Percy kept standing, his whole body flexed to the sun. Nico understood why, even if he was a little annoyed by him being so close.

Tartarus was cold, unforgivable darkness.

And here was the sun again.

Brightly warm. Inviting.

Kind.

Eventually, they all began sharing stories. Frank explained what had happened with the ghostly legion and the army of monsters, how Nico had used the scepter of Diocletian and how bravely Jason and Piper had fought.

“But Frank is being totally modest,” Jason said after going on a tangent about how _very cool_ Nico was during the entire battle against the monsters, something Nico was going to pretend was for _no one’s_ benefit but just Jason being Jason. “He controlled the entire legion. You should’ve seen him. Oh, by the way…” He turned to Percy. “I resigned my office, gave Frank a field promotion to praetor. Unless you want to contest that ruling.”

Percy shook his head. “No argument here.”

“ _Praetor_?” Hazel whispered in shock.

He made a vague noise. “Well… yeah. I know it seems weird.”

She shook her head, kissing his cheek. “It seems _perfect_.”

Leo clapped Frank’s back. “Way to go, Zhang. Now you can order Octavian to fall on his sword.”

“Tempting,” Frank agreed. “But, you guys... Tartarus has to be the _real_ story. What happened down there? How did you…”

Annabeth and Percy leaned into each other. Nico looked away.

“We’ll tell you the story,” Percy said. “But… not yet, okay? I’m not read to remember that place.”

“No,” Annabeth agreed, “right now…” She glanced off into the distance, somewhere towards the river, and faded off. “Uh, I think our ride is coming.”

The Argo II loomed into view. Nico sank into Hazel and let the others chatter and raise to a stand around him as he closed his eyes. She wrapped an arm around his waist, pulling him up with her.

“About time!” Coach Hedge yelled down. “What took you so long, cupcakes? You kept your visitor waiting!”

“Visitor?” Hazel mumbled.

Nico reached out quickly, as far as he could manage in his weary state. An additional soul matched beside Coach Hedge, purple in its glow and strict in its demeanor.

Reyna had arrived.

* * *

 

The group had set up a nice picnic on the hillside for their discussion meeting. Nico had boarded with the ship with Hazel and Frank to head for the sickbay. Piper had taken one look at him and demanded he join her while she patched them up and no amount of insisting he was fine got past her stubborn determination.

After an hour and swallowing two bites of ambrosia, he got let out alongside them and stopped off to the restrooms to relieve himself. He tucked the scepter into his belt loop. It was good makeshift cane while he needed to use something so he could defend himself on the fly and had the pull of the Underworld showing him the way but on Earth, it didn’t work as well.

The taps were a little different aboard the Argo II than what he was used to. Just best to stick with what was familiar. He threw himself over the railing and climbed down the rope. The long grass grazed at his ankles. He jumped down and made his way over to the picnic.

It seemed that he’d gotten there right in time.

“So, the twenty-million-peso question,” Leo said as Nico scooped a pomegranate out of the basket in front him. “We got this slightly used forty-foot tall statue of Athena. What do we do with it?”

Reyna leaned back on her arms, looking at the Athena Parthenos. “As fine as it looks on this hill, I didn’t come all this way to admire it. According to Annabeth, it must be returned to Camp Half-Blood by a Roman leader. Do I understand correctly?

Annabeth swirled her straw inside her goblet. “I had a dream down in…. you know… Tartarus. I was on Half-Blood Hill and Athena’s voice said, _I must stand here. The Roman must bring me_.”

“It makes sense,” Nico said. “The statue is a powerful symbol. A Roman returning it to the Greeks… that could heal the historic rift, maybe even heal the gods of their split personalities.”

He bit into the remaining half of his pomegranate as Coach Hedge broke into the conversation. “Now, hold on. I like peace as much as the next satyr-”

“You _hate_ peace,” Leo said.

“The point is, Valdez, we’re only- what, a few days from Athens. We got an army of giants waiting for us there. We went to all the trouble of saving this statue-”

“ _I_ went to most of the trouble,” Annabeth pointed out.

“-because that prophecy called it the _giant’s bane_ ,” the coach continued. “So why aren’t we taking it to Athens with us? It’s obviously our secret weapon.” He scratched at the scraggly beard around his face. _Scritch, srcitch._ “It looks like a ballistic missile to me. Maybe if Valdez strapped some engines to it-”

Piper coughed loudly. “Uh, great idea, Coach, but a lot of us have had dreams and visions of Gaea rising at Camp Half-Blood…” She laid out her magic dagger in front of them. It glinted but aside from that, Nico saw nothing. Not that he’d _see_ anything but. Still. “Since we got back to the ship, I’ve been seeing some bad stuff in the knife. The Roman legion is almost within striking distance of Camp Half-Blood. They’re gathering reinforcements. Spirits, eagles, wolves.”

“Octavian,” Reyna growled. “I _told_ him to wait.”

“When we take over command,” Frank started, “our first order of business should be to load Octavian into the nearest catapult and fire him as far away as possible.”

“Agreed,” Reyna said immediately. “But for now-”

 “He’s intent on war,” Annabeth said. “He’ll have it, unless we stop him.”

Piper flipped over the blade. “Unfortunately, that’s not the worst of it. I saw images of a possible future. The camp in flames, Roman and Greek demigods lying dead. And Gaea…”

Her voice cut out.

“So, Reyna takes the statue,” Percy said after a moment of tense silence. “And we continue on to Athens.”

“Cool with me,” Leo said. “But uh, a few pesky logistical problems. We got what, two weeks? Until that Roman feat day when Gaea is supposed to rise?”

“The Feast of Spes,” Jason said. “That’s on the first of August. Today is-”

“July eighteenth,” Frank said. “So, yeah, from tomorrow, exactly fourteen days.”

Hazel winced. “It took us _eighteen_ days to get from Rome to here. A trip that should’ve only taken two or three days, max.”

“So, given our usual luck,” Leo said, “ _maybe_ we have enough to get the Argo II to Athens, find the giants and stop them from waking Gaea. _Maybe_.” He pointed something shiny at them all. “But how is Reyna supposed to get this massive statue back to Camp Half-Blood before the Greeks and Romans put each other through the blender? She doesn’t even have her pegasus anymore. Uh, sorry-”

“Fine,” Reyna snapped. Leo’s mouth snapped close with an audible _chock_. She cleared her throat and took a deep breath. “Unfortunately, Leo is correct. I don’t see how I can transport something so large. I was assuming- Well, I was hoping you all would have an answer.”

Nico threw the pomegranate seeds he’d been spitting into his hand over his head and wiped his hands on the edge of his pants. Wasn’t the answer obvious? He waited for someone to point it out, that _he_ wasn’t attached to the group but instead they ignored him.

He rolled his eyes, cutting back into the conversation as Reyna pointed out that Frank couldn’t _leave_. He was one of the seven.

“I’m not,” Nico said because it was true.

Hazel placed down her fork and turned to stare at him. “Nico-”

“I’ll go with Reyna,” he said, peeling back another pomegranate. “I can transport the statue with shadow-travel.”

“Uh…” Percy’s soul warped itself over, flashing a panicked yellow. “I mean, I know you just got all eight of us to the surface and that was awesome. But a year ago you said transporting just _yourself_ was dangerous and unpredictable. A couple of times you ended up in _China_.” Nico blinked, surprised Percy even remembered his childish babbling. “Transporting a forty-foot statue and two people halfway across the world-”

“I’ve changed since I came back from Tartarus,” Nico cut in, snapping his gaze up to Percy. He may not have been looking at him but he _knew_ Percy would get what the gesture meant.

“Nico,” Jason intervened. “We’re not questing your power. We just want to make sure you don’t kill yourself trying.”

“I can do it,” Nico insisted. “I’ll make short jumps. A few hundred miles each time. It’s true, after each jump I won’t be in any shape to fend off monsters.” He gestured in Reyna’s direction with his pomegranate. “I’ll need Reyna to defend me and the statue.”

“Any objections?” Reyna asked, her voice carefully masked to hide how she felt. When no one spoke, she said, “Very well. I see no better option. But there will be _many_ monster attacks. I would feel better taking a third person. That’s the optimal number for a quest.”

“Coach Hedge,” Frank blurted.

“Uh, what, Frank?” Percy said.

“The coach is the best choice,” Frank went on. “The _only_ choice.”  And that was true, if Reyna truly did not want to disrupt the flow of the seven. “He’s a good fighter. He’s a certified protector. He’ll get the job done.”

“A faun,” Reyna said, faintly. Nico wondered if she was thinking about what she’d done in the past to deserve all of this.

“Satyr!” Coach Hedge barked. “And, yeah, I’ll go. Besides,” he grumbled, “when you get to Camp Half-Blood, you’ll need somebody with connections and diplomatic skills-”

 _What?_ Nico thought.

“-to keep the Greeks from attacking you. Just let me go make a call- er, I mean, get my baseball bat.” He stood and jogged back to the ship.

Nico rose. A small fissure broke open in the ground and he dumped his pomegranate remains within it before sealing it back up. “I should go, too, and rest before the first passage. We’ll meet at the statue at sunset.”

He strung out his cane and began tapping his way back to the ship’s ladder. Behind him, Hazel’s soul tensed, worried times a thousand. Part of him felt horrible but…

It was the only way.

She’d see that.

* * *

 

Before he left to go tie up the statue for their journey, Nico stopped by Hazel’s cabin. Ever since Percy and Annabeth had made it back, he felt highly aware of what he’d told Jason. It didn’t help that Jason kept trying to point out all the good things that Nico had done as they were swapping stories, like he thought that it would _help_ or-or make Percy change his _mind_ or something inane like that.

And part of him… didn’t like that Jason knew before Hazel.

He fisted his hands.

She deserved to know, to have him tell her about it. Willingly. Just in case, he didn’t… in case, she didn’t…

He wanted her to know.

Because she was his sister and this was important.

He knocked on the door. Hazel tugged it open. “Hey!” She caught his free hand. “I was just about to go find you.” She squeezed. “Wanted to wish you luck.”

“Well, I found you first,” he murmured.

She laughed. “You did.” She swung their arms. “What’s up?”

“Can we talk? It won’t take long.”

She nodded, gesturing inside the room. He walked in and sat at the edge of her bed, his cane between his legs. Nervously, he thumbed the edge of his cane handle. Hazel eased the door shut and sat down beside him, folding her legs over each other.

“What did you want to talk about?” she asked.

He licked his lips. “I, um, I… I came to- to terms with some things in Dalmatia. And I thought-” He squeezed his eyes shut. “I thought it was important that you know that I-”

His voice caught, trapped and lodged in his throat.

She waited. Patient.

He swallowed, the feeling dry, and started over. _Cut to the chase,_ he thought. And he did.

“I like boys.” He exhaled sharply. “And Jason was there when I had to… and I thought it wasn’t fair that _he_ knew before you so I-” He gestured vaguely in front of himself. “I just wanted you to know. In case something happened.”

Hazel shifted on the bed. She took a deep breath. Her hand slipped over his free one and squeezed gently. “Nico…” There was slow moment and then she lunged at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face into the top of his head. She held him tightly and he kept a tight grip on her elbow, eyes closed. “I already _knew_ ,” she murmured.

“You did?”

She drew back gently, her arms still loped around him. “It was just a feeling,” she explained. “And I never… wanted to pressure you.”

“A feeling?” he asked, a little horrified.

She drew back her hand, making a gesture he had to lean in a little closer to make out. “A little one.”

He sighed and peaked at her under his lashes. “You’re not mad?”

She pushed him. “Nico!”

He grinned ruefully. “Well…”

“Come on!” she huffed. “I never…”  She faded off then pulled back fully. “I mean, I didn’t really _care_ because… people like that… they were like me. Different.” She looked at her hands. “Because of something they couldn’t change and I.” She sighed. “I didn’t want to be like the people who hated me because it didn’t seem _right_.”

He nodded. On the floor above them, something clattered and Coach Hedge let out a loud stream of expletives. He licked his lips. “I should-”

“Yeah,” Hazel agreed quickly as they both stood. She swung her arms around him again. He pulled her in close. “Be safe,” she murmured.

“You too.” He kissed the top of her head. “We can talk more when this is all over.”

“Of course,” she murmured into his neck. She drew back. “Oh! You know who would really nice for you?”

He laughed lightly. “Hazel, Hazel.” He gathered her hands into his hands and squeezed them. “I think I need some time. To- To sort out… my feelings.”

She pushed his hair behind his ear. “Right,” she said. “But when you _do_ , just know that I think John would be very good for you. He works with the unicorns.”

Nico snorted. “Okay,” he said, flippantly.

She smiled at him and it was _so_ bright. He brushed her hair out of her face and kissed the top of her head again. She squeezed his bicep and they pulled away again. He was just at the door when she caught his arm again.

“Nico?”

“Mm?”

She regarded him carefully. “Percy?” On instinct, he froze up. Then relaxed and let himself flush just a little bit. He made a vague, affirmative noise. Hazel nodded. “I get it.”

“A feeling?” he asked as he pulled the door open.

She squeezed and dropped his arm. Gold flittered between her fingers. “Just a small one.”

* * *

The sun was setting just over the horizon, spilling a low red against the sky. Nico threw another rope around the pedestal of the Athena Parthenos. Percy’s soul was edging closer and closer. Finally, it stopped. Nico ignored him.

Ignored the fact that he could feel those stupid, pretty green eyes staring at him.

“Thank you,” Percy said.

Nico frowned. “What for?”

Percy edged closer, tapping the taut part of the rope Nico was tugging on before he shoved his hands into his pockets and eyed the ground. “You promise to lead the other to the House of Hades.” He looked up at Nico and pushed a hand through his hair. He smiled. “You did it.”

Nico shrugged, tying the ends of the ropes together. “You got me out of that bronze jar in Rome. Saved my life yet again.” He tightened the knot of the halter. “It was the least I could do.”

He kept his voice guarded and tight. His shoulders raised to his face as though to hide himself and his head ducked low.

“Also,” Percy said, stepping a small step closer, “you visited Bob…”

Nico paused what he was doing, finally looking up at Percy. Slowly, Percy explained his trip through Tartarus. He didn’t leave a section out, didn’t ramble over anything. He wanted Nico to know, even if he didn’t want anyone else to.

Part of Nico wished it meant what he hoped it meant.

The other part of him just knew it was because they were similar in their struggles.

He cut his eyes back to the ground.

“You convinced Bob that I could be trusted, even though _I_ never visited him,” Percy said. He sounded grateful. Nico’s stomach tied itself into a knot and he fought to keep the heat warming at the back of his neck from rising any further. “I never gave him a second thought. You probably saved our lived by being nice to him.”

Nico swallowed. “Yeah, well, not giving people a second thought… that can be dangerous.”

Percy laughed lightly. “Dude, I’m trying to say thank you.”

Nico laughed humourlessly, trying to match Percy’s tone and failing. “I’m trying to say you don’t need to. Now I need to finish this, if you could give me some space?”

For a second, Nico thought he was going to. Percy twisted slightly and the negative space around him opened up. Then Percy swung back. “No.”

Nico stopped and glared at him. “No? Percy, I’m trying to-”

Percy grabbed the rope in Nico’s hand and held it for him. Stubbornly, Nico dropped his arms. After a second, he folded them across his chest.

“Nico, I don’t-” Percy sighed. “I thought we were friends.”

“We are,” Nico mumbled.

“Then why are you acting so weird? Is it because of what I said?” Percy shook his head. “I just thought you’d _understand_. I didn’t mean to upset you or any-”

“No!” Nico shouted. “It’s not-” He rubbed his face. “I just-”

Percy’s hand ran up his back, warm and heavy. Without thinking, Nico leaned into the touch. It was nice. Percy squeezed the back of his neck, soothingly. “I know I have trouble showing it but I do care about you, Nico. And I should’ve talked to you more after the last war but school and fixing the damages and trying to _relax_ for once and-” His voice cut out. He dropped his hand. “I’m sorry.”

Nico shook his head. “You don’t-”

“I do,” Percy insisted. “I’m sorry. I should’ve been there for you more, especially after everything that happened, and I-” He sighed. “Bob just reminded me that I haven’t been the person I thought I was or the person I want to be and… I _promise_ I’ll be there for you from now on, okay?” He reached down and grabbed Nico’s hand, squeezing it. “I trust you. I swear it on the Styx.”

Jason, Piper and Leo hadn’t exactly been the warmest to him in the beginning stages of their travel. Nico stared at Percy. “Do you?” He cocked his head slightly. “Do you really trust me?”

Percy nodded. His voice laid serious. “With my life, Nico.”

Nico swallowed. “That’s risky, Percy.”

“But it’s true.” Percy handed him the ropes back. “When this is all over, I’m gonna get you and we’re gonna talk about everything, okay?” He raised his hands in mock surrender. “But only if you want to, of course.”

Slowly, Nico nodded. “I-I do.” He cleared his throat and ducked his head. “I want to.”

“Okay.” Percy wrapped his arms around Nico and pulled him tight to his chest. “Stay safe.”

Nico inhaled deeply. “I’ll try.”

Percy didn’t let him go right away. Just kept him tucked into his chest, like he _understood_. Like he knew. Like he needed it. And Nico didn’t fight him off. He couldn’t. He was too tired for that. Eros’s voice rang in his head again. He closed his eyes and fought back the urge to pull Percy back when he finally stepped away.

Like the straps of a backpack, Nico tugged the slacked part of the ropes over his shoulders. Annabeth stepped down to meet him. “Good luck,” she said.

“Yeah.” He kept his eyes down. “You, too.”

A minute later, Reyna and Coach Hedge arrived, packed with armor and supplies. Reyna threw an arm over Annabeth’s shoulder.

“We will succeed,” she promised.

“I know you will,” Annabeth said.

Coach Hedge swung his baseball bat over his shoulder. “Yeah, don’t worry. I’m going to get to camp and see my baby.” He cleared his throat. “Uh, I mean I’m going to get this baby to camp!” He slapped the leg of the Athena Parthenos.

Nico was partly surprised owls didn’t break out of the heavens to peck him to death. “All right,” he said, shifting his feet. “Grab the ropes, please. Here we go.”

They both grabbed one side of the ropes. Coach Hedge swung his baseball bat off his head in mock salute. Reyna pulled her rope taut around her wrist so she wouldn’t let go by accident. And Nico looked up ahead. For the first time, he felt like he could see clearly, though he knew that wasn’t true. Ahead of him, Percy stood. To his right, Hazel had arrived. She tugged once on Nico’s soul like he’d taught her.

He tugged once on hers.

Slowly, he let the shadows overtake him, Coach Hedge, Reyna and the statue, looking up once more and catching sight of Percy’s green, _green_ eyes whispering _home_.

And then they were gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully this chapter was worth the wait.
> 
> The Blood of Olympus will be the end of this story and I'm hopeful for it to come out August 31st. I'm really eager to finish this story because right now, I'm just really tired of it. I'm planning on forcing myself to write at least a page a day so I get it done in time. So far I've only received two asks for scene options from BoO (rememeber I'm doing a minimum of five! The maximum I might do would be ten but I will be doing _at least_ five) so if anyone would like to suggest some I'd really appreciate the help.
> 
> Anyway, if you have any queries about the next update, this AU or literally anything else, please check out my tumblr first! I answer a lot of asks and post writing updates there about all my projects, as well as wips. Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and I'll see you at the next one.
> 
> [Tumblr](http://happyk44.tumblr.com/post/161330712567/in-which-nico-is-blind-and-still-gets-everything) || [Insta](https://www.instagram.com/hk44_art/)


	7. The Blood of Olympus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAHA, SO, funny story, I actually wrote all of this within three and half days (about 10,678 words were written today actually) because I’m a shit and writing is exhausting, especially this story. BUT I GOT IT DONE SO! WHOOP!
> 
> The scenes are as follows: Nico’s talk with Hades (which I’ve always enjoyed, even if it was difficult to spin into the version of Hades I’d constructed already), Nico vs Lycaon, Nico vs Bryce Lawrence, when Nico first meets Will at camp, Nico’s reunion with Hazel and Frank, Nico’s reunion with Jason, his talk with Will and his talk with Percy. 
> 
> I did want to do a lot more scenes, especially the scene where Reyna experiences Nico’s pain but it had too much talking for my taste so I chose to skip it. The same thing went for a few scenes that people requested, especially some with Will and Reyna, where there was too much chatter for me to feel comfortable sitting through and typing it all out, mostly because there’s not much to alter with dialogue usually not much action to incorporate Nico’s blindness into. Some scenes, like Reyna’s hug scene with Nico (which I seriously wanted to write), ended up being too short for me to waste time on as well.
> 
> That being said, I did enjoy writing what I managed to and I’m happy that I finally got it all done! 
> 
> PLEASE ENJOY!

“A couple of _days_?” Nico squeezed the bridge of his nose. No wonder his body felt awkwardly rested and yet so _damn_ weary.

“Hey, kid, we didn’t have much choice,” Coach Hedge huffed. “In case you haven’t noticed, you’ve been working yourself to death with all that shadow-jumping. We tried to wake up you last night.” Coach Hedge clicked his teeth, an odd _snap_ of a bleat rippling from his mouth along with it. “No dice.”

Nico dropped his hand to side. His other hand wrung harsh around his cane handle, squeezing. “So, I’ve been asleep for-”

“About thirsty-six hours.” Coach Hedge’s voice softened a little. “You needed it.”

Nico’s toes curled in his shoes. He could’ve sworn the passage of time had only been a few minutes. Of course, dreams were timeless but he’d been conscious enough in most of them to recognize the way time flowed differently in any stage, in any area. He could tell simply enough when everything was hurtling fast while the dreams stayed slow or when the dreams were long lasting and time was short. Living around Hypnos, even for a short length of time, had given him that much outlook.

Evidently, he still had some things to learn about the passage of time and sleep.

Two days of food missed, his stomach growled incessantly.

Coach Hedge bleated at the sound. “You must be hungry. Either that, or your stomach speaks hedgehog.” His voice skipped amused. “That was _quite_ a statement in hedgehog.”

“Food would be good,” Nico said. He turned gently to the smell of _heavenly_ in the distance. Shaking his head, he snapped out of his hungered stupor. “but, first, what’s the bad news… I mean, aside from the statue being sideways? You said we had trouble.”

“Oh, right.” Coach Hedge cleared his throat. He nudged Nico’s cane with his hoof. Nico relaxed his grip on it. The coach grasped the end of it and pointed it off into the distance. In the dark shadows of a blurry archway, Nico could vaguely make out a light blotch within the darkness. The sense of a lost soul pulled at his gut.

“I don’t know if you can really see him,” Coach Hedge went on. “Don’t really know how well your eyes work but Burning Man showed up a few minutes ago.  He doesn’t get any closer. When I tried to go over there, he disappeared.” He dropped Nico’s cane. “Not sure if he’s a threat but he seems to be a spirit. Seems like he’s asking for you too.”

Nico licked his lips and steadied his grip over his cane handle again. He rose slowly to his feet and sighed, feeling wearied again. “Okay.”

 

He figured it was some kind of trap. Most of the time these things led that way.

But Coach Hedge promised he could guard Reyna on his own for a little longer. On the off chance, the spirit had something useful to say, Nico decided it’d be worth the risk. He spared a few seconds to eat half an apple Coach Hedge had sliced up and then left the coach to watch over Reyna. Letting the pull of the spirit guide him, he tap-tapped his way over to the archway.

Most ghosts didn’t scare him, not anymore.

Granted this was usually in the event Gaea _hadn’t_ encased them in shells of stone and turned them into violent killing machines, hell bent on getting their revenge on Hades and his deathly empire through Nico. A fun fact that _most_ of the inhabitants of Tartarus seemed to consider a smart move.

Torture the son of Hades to get back at the man himself for keeping them locked down there.

After his lengthy spell with Minos, Nico realized that most spirits held only as much power as you allowed them to have. If you didn’t properly defend yourself, they could pry their way into your mind. Fear, anger, longing. Any emotion of high intensity could be used to influence you. After he dispelled Minos back to the Underworld, after he left Camp the second time during the last war, he spent time with Lorrie and other helpful spirits to learn how to shield himself from them, even going as far to flip the script and bend _them_ to his will.

Useful against the spirits at Camp Jupiter, nosy as they were.

As he approached the spirit, the gray flames that encased it grew brighter at him. He slowed down, prodding at the soul to test out its dangers. It seemed to just be a garden-variety wraith. Maybe a lost soul who’d died in pain so overwhelming it couldn’t focus on much else but the violence of its death. Not generally an issue with him.

Still, he remained cautious. Croatia still lingered in the back of his mind, humiliating. He’d gone into that situation, thinking nothing of it, feeling confident. Souls, spirits, the dead, they all obeyed him, he’d thought, and where did that lead him? Having his feet swept out of him, literally and figuratively. Jason heaving him over his shoulder and flying him over a wall. Favonius dissolving them into the wind. Eros…

Nico swallowed thickly. Without thinking, his sword shimmered out of the cane, hitting the ground with a dull thunk that reverberated rippling sensation over the length of his arm.

Humiliation slapped back into him. Talking about Percy, about how he _felt_ , that hadn’t been as horrifying as being harassed, being bullied around, _laughed_ at about it by Eros. Like the way he felt was just as mortifying as he’d always fear, just as _disgusting_ as he’d always thought. Maybe he would’ve talked about it with someone, in his own time, his own way, but…

He shuddered. Tendrils of darkness spilled from his feet, shame showering over him like a wave. He swallowed as he felt death encase the flowers and grass beneath him. Some of the cobblestones crumbled into dust. He shook his head and pulled himself together.

He needed to focus.

When he reached the ghost, Nico prodded deeper into it’s being, peeling apart its focus on its own death and rolling through its faded memories. Pulling out, he clicked his tongue to the roof of his mouth. “You were burned alive,” he said. “Probably in the Middle Ages?”

The ghost said nothing but Nico could feel a twinge of annoyance radiating off it. The grayish flames waned before burning brighter than before. Silently, the ghost twisted on its heels and walked off through open gateway.

Nico sighed deeply and followed suit, letting his sword slip back into a cane.

They sped down the narrow walkways. Nico was unfamiliar with the way cobblestone hit against his cane, making it slightly unsteady for him to walk with any great speed, but people made wide berths around him anyway. It made him almost miss New York and the uncaring way people bumped past him.

No one seemed to notice the ghost but he could feel their eyes peering at him. He couldn’t tell which version he preferred more: them staring at him because, hey, blind kid, that’s new or because he smelled so viscerally like death that a dog snarled at him from across the road, its owner having crossed just to avoid him.

He struggled to ignore the feelings of shame that cluttered into his chest.

He’d been on his own so long, keeping to the Underworld where everyone knew him, where everyone was _like_ him or large cities where no one cared who he was, too busy trying to get from point A to point B without a stop, that the feeling of stares, the eyes on him, the way their souls grew uneasy just at the _sight_ of him.

It’d been easy to ignore at Camp Jupiter, sticking to Hazel and Frank who liked his company, but on his own, he felt suddenly too aware of his own skin, of his own presence and how it radiated at the people around him.

The ghost led Nico a public square, passing through a wall. Blinking, Nico glanced around for a doorway. Negative space kept low around him, whitewashed walls blanketing his left as he moved down slow. Suddenly something broke open and he turned to it. The doorway wasn’t darkened, light up by the soft glow of the sun.

Normally Nico didn’t really care for churches. They held a vague sense from his childhood, which made them relatively okay in his book. But this one.

Something off curled in his mind. Death radiated from it. Violently overpowering.

He swallowed and ducked through it before his own fear could power him away. To the left, there was a small chapel off to the side, cast in an eerie golden light.  Against his better judgement, he slipped inside.

The spirit was knelt at an altar at the far end. Nico looked away and around the room. Pressing his hand against the walls, he felt the bones cemented together that created them, dirtied white. He stayed close, making out skulls and femurs fused together.

It was almost beautifully put-together in a macabre way.

He looked over to the next wall, tapping over to the hung up remains of two skeletons. Without pause, he ran his finger over them. They were oddly clean, pulling away only the littlest bit of dirt and dust on his fingertips.

“A beautiful room, isn’t it?”

Nico spun around. A year before, he would’ve burst out of his own skin if his father suddenly appeared next to him. Now, completely used to it, Nico was much more able to control the speed of his heartrate and the desire to kick his father in the groin before running away in the opposite direction.

His father’s soul was content, calm in the same way it was whenever he decided to take a brief stroll through the Underworld in comfortable silence with whoever, or whatever, chose to join him. He wore robes, black enough to stand out against the dusty walls and blend in with the shadows twisting around the place. Unlike the rest of the chapel and Nico, though, the stench of death didn’t linger on him, which made Nico wonder if he’d taken a stolen hour of time to visit Persephone while she mucked about miserably in the Heavens.

Nico rubbed his thumb over the tip of his cane handle. “Getting some redecorating ideas?” he asked. “Maybe you could your dining room in medieval monk skulls.”

Hades pinched Nico’s soul, soft and almost _fatherly_ , like an amused tell-off for his _cheek_. “I can never tell when you’re joking,” he said.

Nico tensed. The time for pretenses was long over. “Why you here, Father? _How_ are you here?”

Hades hummed quietly to himself, some familiar tune that edged at the broken pieces of Nico’s memories. “You’re a hard mortal to find, my son.” A patch of the wall slipped white as Hades’s pale hands stopped their caress of the bones. “For several days, I’ve been searching. When the scepter of Diocletian exploded… well, that got my attention.”

A burst of quiet shame sluck at Nico’s chest. Anger whirled quickly after. It wasn’t _his_ fault. He cleared his throat. “Breaking the scepter wasn’t my fault. We were about be overrun-”

“Oh, the scepter isn’t important. A relic that old, I’m surprised you got two uses out of it.” Pride curved over his voice. Nico smiled gently. “The explosion simply gave me some clarity. It allowed me to pinpoint your location. I was hoping to speak to you in Pompeii, but it is so… well, _Roman_.” He said the word like it was distasteful. “This chapel was the first place where my presence was strong enough that I could appeal to you as myself. By which I mean, _Hades_ , god of the dead not split with that _other_ manifestation.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “I wouldn’t disrespect the part of you that helped conceive Hazel.”

“Of course not,” Hades said. “But even _he_ is put off at himself. After all-” Hades stepped to the hung up remains near Nico. “-what wealth do the dead own? It’s a struggle to remain in that manifestation if I have no other pull towards it. And this place, I am very drawn to it as _me_. The remains of five thousand monks were used to build the Chapel of Bones. It serves as a remind that life is short and death is eternal. I feel _focused_ here.” He sighed, weary. “Even so, I only have a few moments.”

“Of course,” Nico said. He dropped his arms, feeling his cane clatter against the ground. He cocked his head slight. “So, tell me, Father. What do you want?”

 “You seek information about Gaea’s hunter,” Hades said without preamble. “His name is Orion.”

Nico was taken back. Normally his father edged around the bush, pushing riddles, games or quests onto him. Granted, Nico understood why. If any other god were to find Hades telling Nico anything right off the bat, they’d no doubt grow angered at it, hypocrites when they tended to do the same with their own children.

But then again, there’d always been a hateful resilience to any help a child of Hades got from anyone, especially their father.

Persephone had told him that much.

“Orion,” Nico said slowly, working through years of mythological knowledge. “Like the constellation. Wasn’t he… a friend of Artemis?”

“He was,” Hades said. “A giant, born to oppose the twins, Apollo and Artemis, but much like Artemis, Orion rejected his destiny. He sought to live on his own terms. First he tried to live among mortals as a huntsman for the king of Khios.” Hades cleared his throat, his soul twisted uncomfortably green. “He, ah, ran into some trouble with the king’s daughter. The king had Orion blinded and exiled.”

Nico blinked. “He raped her.”

A beat of silence slipped between them before Hades said, “Yes.” A twist in his tone, darker and edged. “He violated her.”

Nico nodded slowly. Ancient times, terrible people. Not that much had changed from that in the last thousand years. “My friend dreamed of a hunter with glowing eyes,” he said, thinking back to what Reyna had told him. “If Orion is blind-”

“He _was_ blind,” Hades corrected and sounding like the fact bothered him. “Shortly after his exile, Orion met Hephaestus, who took pity on him and crafted him new mechanical eyes, even better than the originals. Orion became friends with Artemis. He was the first male ever allowed to join her Hunt.”

Nico scowled. Did they not know what he had done? Maybe Hephaestus didn’t really care, his understanding of people relations off if Persephone’s complaints were anything to go by but surely Artemis would’ve taken affront to it. Even if she had no personal feelings on the event, he imagined she would’ve at the very least worried for the safety of her own Hunters.

As if sensing where Nico’s thought derailed to, Hades shifted, snapping Nico’s attention to him “But… things went wrong between him and Artemis. How exactly, I do not know. Orion was slain. Now he has returned as a loyal son Gaea, ready to do her bidding. He is driven by bitterness and anger. You can understand that.”

Nico cast his eyes downwards. Shame piled onto him as he thought back to his childish ways during the first war. He squeezed his eyes shut.  “How do we stop him?

“You cannot. Your only hope is to outrun him. Accomplish your quest long before he reaches you. Apollo or Artemis might be able to slay him, arrows against arrows, but the twins are in no condition to aid you. Even now, Orion has your scent. His hunting pack is almost upon you. You won’t have the luxury of more rest from here to Camp Half-Blood.”

Nico’s blood ran cold. He stiffened, Coach Hedge and Reyna slamming to the forefront of his mind. “I need to get back to my companions.”

“Indeed,” Hades aid. “But there is more. Hazel… she has discovered that one of the Seven will die. She may try to prevent this. In doing so, she may lose sight of her priorities.”

Nico’s mouth ran dry.

His mind skipped to Hazel, concerned, then to Jason _then_ to Percy, much to his surprise. He didn’t dwell on it, running down the line of the Argo II crew members. They had cared for him in his time of suffering and treated him with wary kindness, something more than he’d experienced from any group of demigods. The thought of them dying, any of them, cut a hollow center into his chest.

He exhaled slowly. “Is Hazel all right?” he begged.

“For the moment,” Hades allowed.

Nico swallowed. “And the others? Who will die?”

Hades’s soul fell annoyingly caged. “Even if I were certain, I could not say. I tell you this because you are my son. You know that some deaths cannot be prevented. Some death should not be prevented. When the time comes, you may need to act.

Nico didn’t dare think on what that meant.

He didn’t want to know.

“Nico, my son,” Hades began, his tone gentler than it had ever been around Nico, softer than it took when he was with Persephone. Yet there such a familiarity to the tone. Something Nico felt like he’d heard before, murmuring him to sleep when he was young. Hades knelt before Nico and clasped his shoulder. Nico didn’t normally appreciate touch, foreign or familiar, but he couldn’t help but feel eased at the feel of his father’s hand. “Whatever happens, you have long since earned my respect. You brought honor to our house when we stood together against Kronos in Manhattan. You risked my wrath to help the Jackson boy, freeing him from my prison, guiding him to the River Styx, pleading with me to raise the armies to Erebos to assist him.”

Hades laughed gently, his head ducked. “ _Never_ before have I been so _harassed_ by one of my sons, _Percy this_ and _Percy that_ ,” he mocked, teasing. “I nearly blasted you to cinders.”

Nico scowled. Around him the walls seemed to creak. Dust trickled from the ceiling, falling into his hair, roughly slipping down his skin. “I didn’t do all that just for him. I did it because the whole world was in danger.”

Even to Nico, it sounded like a lie.

Hades cupped the side of Nico’s face. “I can entertain the possibility that you acted for _multiple_ reasons,” he said. “My point is this. You and I rose to the aid of Olympus because you convinced me to let go of my anger. I would encourage you to do likewise. My children are so rarely happy. I…” He fell faint, an ache wrapping around his soul. Nico pressed onto it without thought, trying to relieve the millennium of pain. Hades relaxed and pulled away. “I would like to see you _and_ Hazel be the exception.”

For a moment, Nico was swollen in prideful anger. So many hissed whispers, so much _hate_ for a man who didn’t deserve it. For a man who was given that angered resentment for a natural occurrence, for events he could not control.

For the billionth time, Nico wondered why people couldn’t just see this part of his father. The part of him that was _kind_ , loving. The part of him that exercised his ridiculously named dog, the part of him that held his wife close and counted down the days to her return.

The part of him that held his children, _all_ of them, close to his heart.

But instead, all they saw, all they _feared_ , was the world of death he encompassed and that’s all they cared about. Gods, humans and mythological creatures, that was all they wanted to see.

“Everyone fears death,” Persephone had said quietly one afternoon, Hades ahead of them with Cerebus running happily after the ball he’d just thrown. “Even those for who it would never linger. That is why they will rarely treat him with the respect he deserves.”

At the altar, the ghost rose and appeared between them, still burning. His screaming soul conveyed a message Nico couldn’t read.

“Ah,” Hades said. “This is Brother Paloan. He’s one of the hundreds who were burned alive in the square near the old Roman temple. The Inquisition had its headquarter there, you know. At any rate, he suggests you leave now. You have very little time before the wolves arrive.”

Nico frowned. “Wolves? You mean Orion’s pack?”

Hades flicked his hand. The spirit vanished. “My son, what you are attempting - shadow-travel across the world, carrying the status of Athena - it may well destroy you.”

“Thanks for the encouragement,” Nico said dryly.

Hades laughed low. The sound felt wicked but pleasantly so. He clasped both hands against Nico’s shoulders again, steeling his thumbs against the ridge of Nico’s collarbone. The touch, oddly reassuring, seemed to clear Nico’s head. “I will prepare a room for you at the palace in case you do not survive. Perhaps your chambers would look decorated the skulls of monks.”

Nico snorted. “Now I can’t tell if _you’re_ joking.”

Hades’s form began to fade, his eyes so glittering amusingly dark against his pale face. “Then perhaps we are alike in some important ways.”

He vanished. Nico exhaled slowly and turned, hurrying out of the doorway and praying that he remembered the way back to his companions.

 

* * *

 

“Wolves?” Reyna asked. She dropped her spoon into the bowl and sat back. “Most wolves are friendly to Romans. I’ve never heard stories about Orion hunting with a pack.”

Coach Hedge had collected dinner from a nearby café. They had settled onto a lawn nearby the temple where the Athena Parthenos was still displayed proudly on its side and Nico had relayed his meeting with Hades with a short interlude to his dreams just prior to the Chapel of Bones.

He swallowed down the rest of his ham sandwich in one large gulp, fingers skittering along the edge of his plate. Surprisingly, he was still hungry. “It could have been a figure of speech: _very little time before the wolves arrive_. Perhaps Hades didn’t literally mean wolves. At any rate, we should leave as soon as it’s dark enough for shadows.”

Burping, Coach Hedge shuffled around with his bag. His breath smelled like grass and aluminum. “Only problem, the Athena Parthenos is still thirty feet in the air. Gonne be fun hailing you guys and your gear to the top of that temple.”

Reyna leaned forward. “Perhaps we move our things up there now. So, we are ready for our next jump.” She plucked a pastry off the ground. “We can’t afford to waste time.”

Nico winced. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault, kid,” Hedge said. He clapped Nico squarely on the back. “You’ve done a lot more for us than we could’ve done on our done.”

“He’s right, Nico,” Reyna chimed in. “Don’t stress this. But we do need hurry on.” She cleared her throat. “After dinner, of course.”

Nico smiled, grateful, and snatched a _fartura_ from the plate in from of them. It was warm and buttery, with just enough sugar to make it sweet but not _too_ sweet. In the back of his mind, he wondered what Hazel would’ve thought of them. Then Percy.

Then scowled.

In spite of himself, his mind kept drifting back to Percy. It always had. He’d manage to redirect the flow by thinking about Percy then the broader scale of demigods right into Hazel. But now, he was having trouble keeping his focus elsewhere.

All he could think of what how pleased Percy would be with him, if they both came out of this war mildly unscathed. Nico had delivered the Athena Parthenos where it was supposed to go! How cool, right? How absolutely _lovable_ that would make him in Percy’s eyes? Then Annabeth sprouted into his mind and he sank back into a pit of misery.

It helped that his jealously over Annabeth had dwindled some since their last talk, where she’d _thanked_ him for all he’d done for them, thanked him for being so kind of Bob, and wished him luck on his trip back to camp, but he still couldn’t keep his mind off her boyfriend. Which made him feel _awful_. Annabeth was nice. Even though she never went out of her way to contact him or have a nice lunch with him, she still never ignored him or forgot about what he’d done for all of them.

And Percy had been so kind before, wanting to talk, wanting to let Nico know that he understood and wanted to help him work through all the hells Tartarus had put him through, put all three of them through. Nico knew he was going to have to get over these feelings before then. Or maybe not. He could just vanish into thin air and never see any of them again.

But he’d promised. And unlike some people, Nico _liked_ to keep his promises.

He licked his lips and reoriented back to the conversation.

“Will Camp Half-Blood wait for August first or will they attack?” Reyna asked as she swallowed down a donut.

“We have to hope they wait,” Nico said. He spread his hands over his knees. “We can’t… _I_ can’t get the statue back any faster, no matter when we leave.”

 _And at this rate, even my father thinks I might die_ , he thought but kept that to himself.

Hedge jingled through the change in his baseball cap. “And you’re sure Clarisse said Mellie was okay?”

“Yes, Coach,” Reyna said wearily as she picked up another pastry, pushing one towards Nico. “Clarisse is taking good care of her.”

“That’s a relief. I don’t like what Grover said about Gaea whispering to the nymphs and dryads. If the nature spirits turn evil… that’s not going to be pretty.

Nico had never heard of such a thing happening. Then again, Gaea hadn’t been awake since the dawn of humanity.

Reyna took another bite of her pastry. Mouth full, she mused, “I wound about these wolves.” She stopped to chew for a bit before swallowed thickly and continuing. “Is it possible we’ve misunderstood the message? The goddess Lupa has been very quiet. Perhaps she is sending us aid. The wolves could be from her- to _defend_ us from Orion from his pack.”

Her voice was razor thin with hope as thick as a splintering of _gauze_. Nico decided to sidestep it.

“Maybe,” he said. “But wouldn’t Lupa be busy with the war between the camps? I thought she’d be sending wolves to help your legion.”

Reyna tapper her fingers restlessly against the grass. “Wolves are not front-line fighters. I don’t think she would help Octavian. Her wolves might be patrolling Camp Jupiter, defending it in the legion’s absence, but I just don’t know…”

She crossed her legs, chainmail glinting into Nico’s eyes. He glanced away.

“There’s something else,” she went on. “I haven’t had any luck contacting my sister, Hylla. It makes me uneasy that both the wolves _and_ the Amazons have gone silent. If something has happened on the West coast…” Her voice died out. She took a steady breath and continued. “I fear the only hope for either camp lies with us. We _must_ return the statue soon. That means the greatest burden, regrettably, is on you, son of Hades.”

Nico swallowed thickly.

He knew this. He’d promised Percy, Hazel and the others he’d do this.

But, gods, he was so tired of being called on to do the impossible. Because as soon as he did anything remotely amazing, people forgot him just as fast.

Percy surely did.

He remembered how nice the kids at camp were. How they treated him kindly after the war and let him help with the burial rites of fallen demigods. They started construction on his cabin first and they smiled and invited him to sit with them.

Then after a week, everything wore out. His welcome, their patience. People jumped when he appeared behind them, no matter how loud he tried to make himself. They disliked the way he appeared from the shadows and when he put a stop to it, walking into rooms instead of shadow-travelling straight to them, they still kept staring at him, whispering behind his back and whining about his presence when they thought he couldn’t hear, like his presence was an intrusion.

Like his whole being was not meant to exist around them.

The only campers who had any remote respect for him were any of the demigods that fell under the stretch of the Underworld: Persephone’s children, Thanatos’s twin daughters. But even they needed to detract from the Underworld stench that lingered on them and how easy was it do that by ignoring and shunning the solitary son of Hades like everyone else.

Reyna cleared her throat. “So, Nico, how can we help you with that?”

He blinked. He wasn’t quite used to hearing that query. “I’m not sure,” he admitted. “You’ve already let me rest as much as possible. That’s important. Perhaps you can lend me your strength again. This next jump will be the longest. I’ll have to muster enough energy to get us across the Atlantic.”

The last time he’d jumped across an entire ocean, it’d been the Pacific and he’d wound up passed out in from an old Chinese lady’s door.

She’d been nice to him.

“You’ll succeed,” Reyna said. “Once we’re back in the US, we should encounter fewer monsters. I might even be able to get help from retired legionnaires along the eastern seaboard. They are obliged to aid any Roman demigod who calls on them.”

That sounded nice. Nico had tried to rest at the house of a demigod he met at camp during the midst of his travels and wound up with the door slammed in his face by the child of Demeter’s father and being told the police were on their way right before being attack by their dog, who’d “slipped” out of his leash and cleared the gateway to the front yard.

Lorrie had angrily let it spill that the camper had watched him struggle to run away from the windows.

After that, Nico stopped asking for help from the people he’d met at camp and stuck solely to the dark shadows that beckoned him home and the dead that littered the graveyards he napped in.

Hedge grunted, waking Nico from his pitiful thoughts. “If Octavian hasn’t already won them over. In which case, you might find yourself arrested treason.”

“Coach,” Reyna scolded. “You’re not helping.”

“Hey, I’m just sayin’. Personally, I wish we could stay in Évora longer. Good food, good money-” He jangled the change in his cap. “-and so far, no sign of these figurative _wolves_.”

Reyna’s dogs sprang to their feet, growling low.

In the distance howls pierced the air. The hairs on Nico’s neck stood on edge. Before he could even stand, wolves appeared from every direction, boxing them in. They were massive black blurs in Nico’s eyes. He could only imagine how terrifying they were with clear sight. They smelled like blood.

The largest of them shifted forward, his coat a sleek gray compared to the rest. It made him easier to notice even with Nico’s poor eyes. His soul pounded between black and gray as he stood on his back legs, changing form. The gray vanished quickly and the smell of blood and stinking flesh came out harsher.

“Ah, little satyr,” his voice crooned between the wolves. “Your wish is granted! You will stay in Évora forever, because, _sadly_ for you, my figurative wolves are _literally_ wolves.”

“You’re not Orion,” Nico said.

The sheer stupidity of the comment hit him like a brick to the face but he couldn’t help it. The towering blur ahead of him was tall, _sure_ , but not _giant_ -tall. And giants had an aura of _poison_ around them, as though just _looking_ in their direction was enough to sever your limbs from your body. This man, creature, monster, _whatever_ he was, he was clearly _not_ Orion.

He laughed, chortling _venomously_ , voice wrecked like acid. “Indeed not. Orion has merely employed me to assist him in his hunt. I am-”

“Lycaon,” Reyna interrupted. Her stance tensed but her voice remained steadied and unimpressed. “The first werewolf.”

Lycaon’s soul burned pleasantly, like he enjoyed being remembered more than he enjoyed being feared. “Reyna Ramírez-Arellano, praetor of Rome. One of Lupa’s whelps! I’m pleased you recognize me. No doubt, I am the stuff of your nightmares.”

“The stuff of my indigestion, perhaps,” she replied dryly. A swift _sching_ arised from down near her waist. “I never travel without a silver weapon.”

Lycaon snarled. Around him, the wolves growled low, shifting repeatedly around them. “Would you keep a dozen wolves and their king at bay with a pocketknife? I heard you were brave, _filia Romana_. I did not realize you were foolhardy.”

At her feet, Reyna’s dogs shifted, Argentum’s tail slapping the ground almost as ferociously as the flesh-and-blood beasts before him. All dogs, creatures of magic or monsters of a pyscho, thirsted for a fight.

Nico twitched his arm, ready to spring his cane into sword and get down to beating but Coach Hedge muttered, “Don’t bother. These guys are only hurt by silver or fire. I remember them from Pikes Peak.” His voice dropped. “They’re _annoying_.”

“And I remember you, Gleeson Hedge.” The werewolf’s soul turmoiled in joy, his voice brittled on the edge of thick bubbling laughter. “My pack will be delighted to have goat meat for dinner.”

Hedge snorted. “Bright it on, mangy boy. The Hunters of Artemis are on their way right now, just like last time! That’s a temple of _Diana_ over there, you idiot. You’re on their home turf!”

Fear casted through the wolves. They snarled darkly but backed off, feet shuffling out their nerves and wariness pitched through their souls. Lycaon growled. “A nice try, but I’m afraid that temple has been misnamed. I passed through here during Roman times. It was actually dedicated to Emperor Augustus. Typical demigod vanity,” he chided. “Regardless, I’ve been much more careful since our last encounter. If the Hunters were anywhere close by, I would know.”

Nico bit his lip. Blinded and silver-less, he was essentially useless. They were surrounded and outnumbered by a vast amount. The only useable weapon they had was a pocketknife and, _possibly_ , a slightly deformed fake dog. The only other weapon he could’ve used to help had blasted itself to smithereens and the Athena Parthenos was thirty feet above them at the top of a temple in broad daylight with no conceivable way of creating darkness or shadows to disappear into until sunset, which was _hours_ from now.

Bravery wasn’t even a conceivable thought at this point. And a fight to the death would surely end in death, namely _theirs_. They were, without a doubt, beyond screwed.

Still, he stepped forward, titling his head up to meet the tip of where the vague outline of Lycaon stopped. “So, you’ve got us. What are you waiting for?”

Lycaon crept closer to him. His body odor _reeked_ even worse than before. “Nico di Angelo,” he surmised. “Son of Hades.” Like everyone else, he spat his father’s name like venom. Nico gripped the handle of his cane harder. “I’ve heard of you,” Lycaon went on. “I’m sorry I can’t kill you promptly, but I promised my employer Orion that I would detain you until he arrives. No worries. He should be here in a few moments. Once he’s done with you, I shall spill your blood and marks this place my territory for ages to come!”

 _Better than pissing on everything_ , Nico thought bitterly. He grit his teeth. “Demigod blood. The blood of Olympus.”

“Of course!” Lycaon said. “Spilled upon the ground, especially _scared_ ground, demigod blood has many uses. With the proper incantations, it can awaken monsters or even gods. It can cause new life to spring up or make a place barren for generations.” His voice wilted in a half-saddened tone and curled so thickly it caressed Nico’s jaw with a toxic hiss. “Alas, _your_ blood will not wake Gaea herself. That honor is reserved for you friends aboard the Argo II. But fear not.” The grin in his voice chuckled. “Your death will be almost as painful as _theirs_.”

Hazel flashed to the forefront of Nico’s mind. Beneath his feet, death burst. He could feel it radiating off him, baring the stench of bones and rotting flesh straight off his skin. Beside him, Hedge flinched.

 _Barren ground_ , Nico thought. Anger curled in his fists. _Sacred ground_.

The thought of the skeletal walls in the Chapel of Bones sprouted to his mind. He remembered what Hades has said about the square they were in. The Inquisition, burning alive hundreds of people. This was an ancient city. How many were there below his feet? How many of them awaited his call?

How many?

“Coach,” he said, gripping his cane handle tight with both hands, “you can climb?”

Hedge scoffed. “I’m half _goat_. Of course, I can climb!”

“Get up to the statue and secure the rigging. Make a rope ladder and drop it down for us.”

In front of him, Lycaon laughed. His soul lit up amused by Nico’s _brash_.

Coach Hedge coughed. “Uh, but the pack of wolves-”

“Reyna,” Nico cut over him, “you and your dogs will have to cover our retreat.”

Reyna’s soul burned steady. “Understood.”

Lycaon let out a howl. “Retreat to where, son of Hades?” he snarled, air flushing past Nico’s face. “There is no escape. You cannot kill us!”

“Maybe not,” Nico admitted. As his cane merged into his sword, he hefted it into the air. “But I can slow you down.”

He slammed his sword into the ground. Like a knife to butter, it slid into the earth, wicked fast and easy. For a second, nothing happened. Silence, save for the heave of Nico’s breath.

Then all hell broke loose.

In hindsight, he probably should’ve planned a better last line. He just hadn’t expected it to work so perfectly. Or so tirelessly. When he’d first started, he’d burst the dead from the earth wound up sprawled in front of someone passed out as small hordes of the undead began fighting round him. And there were always the few that refused to listen and just flopped around, a mess of bones and half-decayed clothes. As time went on, he’d gotten a little better but normally he still felt immensely weak and winded, bordering on passing out or vomiting in a corner.

Now, it seemed, he could summon an army and only feel slightly light-headed, instead of his usual extremely light-headed.

This time, though, it was less an army of skeletons and more a wall of bones that collapsed on top of the wolves that circled them. Even Lycaon was trapped, his soul burning an angry gray that had Nico’s knees trembling.

“You worthless child!” he roared. “I will rip the flesh from your limbs!”

“Coach!” Nico yelled. “go!”

Without need for any other urging, Hedge sprinted off for the temple. His hooves beat the ground, restlessly and the sound vanished. A clack against marble was all Nico had to go on that Hedge had made it. In front of him, the smell of dead burned against his nose, mixed in rich with the earth. Somewhere he could smell smoke. He knew it was phantom spell, caught up in their past and split between his own current and the festering memories that still lingered against every femur and rib cage.

Bursting free, a wolf launched itself at Nico. Reyna caught him by the arm and yanked him behind her. Her knife swung fast in front of his face, a splash of silver glinted from the sun, and disappeared into the mass of black fur snarling back towards them. Gold fell uselessly against another snarling mass of black. Silver launched itself from Reyna’s left side and brought down the hulking beast.

Nico licked his lips and thought, _Thank goodness for silver dogs_.

Reyna had drawn her sword by now. “Go!” she said as she fussed around with Coach Hedge’s things. The scratch of tape sounded, supplied by a jangle of coins knocking against her blade. “I’ll cover you!”

Ahead of them, the thicket of bones he’d summoned was starting to crumble. Lycaon yelled, “I _will_ flay you alive! I will add your pelt to my cloak.”

Nico ignored him, digging deep into the Underworld. Lorrie appeared at his side immediately. He didn’t say anything, just flooded her with his own memories, forcing her soul to accept his thoughts. She took them gracefully and hissed, “The knife” as Nico ran off.

He swept down and collected the switchblade, nicking himself on the side of his thumb. Lorrie ran beside him. She yanked him out of the way of a pillar and shoved him towards a set of stairs behind the back of the temple. Racing to the top, he broke into the base of the columns and glanced around for Hedge.

“Hurry!” he yelled, searching for the blur of brown he’d grown accustomed to seeing.

“Oh, really?” Hedge yelled down from Nico’s left. “I thought we had tons of time.”

“This is obviously not the time for sarcasm!” Lorrie called back, dragging Nico under the spot where Hedge was working.

Hedge’s voice rang clearer than before. “Who are you?” he yelled incuriously and something smacked right next to Nico’s left foot.

“I’ll explain her later!” Nico yelled, busy on finding Reyna’s soul again. Disorientation was beginning to set into his skull, the extreme power of dragging an entire wall of the dead and forcing Lorrie to quickly understand the situation at hand finally wearying him out.

At best, he’d only have enough energy to shadow-travel them out in the next few minutes before he finally collapsed. And he still couldn’t sense a shadow big and dark enough to draw energy from.

Shadows.

He stilled. “Lorrie, what happens when Argentum bites the other dogs?”

“Argentum?”

“The silver one!” he said quickly, a plan forming in his mind. It’d only work if she confirmed his thoughts. “What happens?”

“Uh.” Lorrie vanished then reappeared. “Turns into puddles of pure darkness it looks like.”

“Good.” Nico rubbed the silver pocketknife in his hand and closed his eyes. “I’m going to do something very stupid. Don’t try to protect me.”

Lorrie’s soul tensed but she didn’t protest. “Okay. You’re the boss.”

Nico licked his lips. It was a stupid idea. Extremely stupid. And crazy. Probably the dumbest thing he’d ever thought of since the time he _genuinely_ thought Percy would fall head-over-heels for him if he convinced Percy to swim the Styx. An almost train wreck and disaster of a plan that didn’t even work out in his favor when it succeeded.

With his luck, this plot would go the exact same way.

Steadying whatever remains of courage and bravery he had left, he yelled, “Reyna! Get up here!”

Within seconds, she was at his side, barely out of breath. “What’s the plan?”

He scowled as Lorrie whistled appreciatively behind them. “Show-off,” he muttered just as a knotted rope fell beside them

“Climb, ya silly non-goats!” Hedge called down.

Nico grabbed Reyna’s arm. “Go. Once you’re up there, hang on tight to the rope.”

Her body tensed under his loose grip. “Nico-”

“Do it!”

He dropped his hand from her arm. She sheathed her sword and began climbing. Her chainmail scraped against the column. Nico swallowed and quickly wound the rope around his arm. There was no telling if he’d be able to locate it in time if this worked out. Lorrie flickered next to him before vanishing to the top of the temple to the others.

Plan B, if his idea didn’t work: leave him and the Athena Parthenos behind and run like hell.

She reappeared back to his side. She pulled once on the rope. It snapped tight against his arm and he exhaled harshly, just in time to hear Lycaon screech, “You will suffer, son of Hades!”

“What else is new?” Lorrie muttered. “Why are all your bad guys so _uncool_?”

Nico shrugged haphazordously. Adrenaline raced through his blood. “Come get me, you mutt!” He held the pocketknife half-hidden behind himself. “Or do you have to _stay_ like a good dog until your master shows up?”

Lycaon let out an enraged growl. The sun, high in the sky, glinted off his claws and fangs. Nico squeezed his eyes shut, concentrating hard. Sweat trickled down his neck, slimy and _wet_. He took a deep breath and relaxed.

As the wolf king fell onto him, he directed half his focus onto Lycaon’s soul. It burned an angry gray, such a blinding rage. Nico swung his arm up and thrust the knife right into Lycaon’s chest, right where he could see his soul snarling at him. Around the temple, all the wolves howled. The sound blurred into one thunderous noise

Lycaon cried out too. His voice snapped in half, breaking off. His breath heaved hotly against Nico’s face. His claws dug deep into Nico’s arms. Blinding pain shot up Nico’s body. He dug the knife right up to the hilt into Lycaon’s chest.

“Be useful dog,” he snarled, pain snarking inside his throat. “Back to the shadows.”

Like an obedient beast, Lycaon dissolved into a pool of shadows over Nico’s hand and under his feet.

At once, multiple things occurred. The outraged pack of wolves surged forward. From a nearby rooftop, or maybe even above them a booming voice cried out, “STOP THEM!” The unmistakable sound of a bow being drawn taut curled into the air around Nico’s head.

Without thought, without destination, Nico fell to his knees and melted into the pool of Lycaons’s shadow, dragging with him his friends and the Athena Parthenos. The cold ether of pure darkness overtook him, Lorrie’s voice whispering praises in his ears.

And he had no idea where he’d wind up.

Just that he was finally, _finally_ in his home.

Finally, in his own territory.

 

* * *

 

Nico sat back. “You didn’t kill your father,” he said quietly. Part of him wanted to take her hands and look dead in her eyes but he settled for tugging uselessly on her soul. “The man was already dead. You dispelled a ghost.”

Reyna’s voice muffled as she sobbed. “It doesn’t matter! If word of this got out at Camp Jupiter-”

“You’d be executed,” someone hissed happily behind them.

Ahead of them, withered in the shadows, stood a vaguely shimmering form. Sunlight glinted into Nico’s eyes off his armor. His soul was twisted, hummed and restricted tight, which would explain why Nico hadn’t been able to sense him close in on them. He smelled bloody, an air of violence entrenched in him.

His voice, rancid, sneered, “Than you for your confession, _former_ praetor. You’ve made my job much easier.

At that moment, Hedge broke into the clearing, yelling, “Good news, everyone.” His soul seized and he crumbled something in his hands, the noise crunching. “Oh… never mind.”

The legionnaire’s soul snarled green, releasing itself for the barest of seconds. He was beyond enraged. Hedge had just ruined his moment.

Nico had feeling that bad things happened when this kid’s moments were ruined

Reyna jumped to her feet. Aurum and Argentum bolted to her side and growled. Slowly, Nico rose, tense and nerved.

“Bryce Lawrence,” Reyna said plain, though the shake in her voice relayed her shock. “Octavian’s newest attack dog.”

Bryce chuckled. His soul, reigning back into itself, was green with pleasure. Like how Percy’s would turn but _uglier_ somehow. Percy’s soul was a pretty sea green. Bryce’s was more similar to pond scum. Moss. Mold.

“The augur has many attack dogs,” he said. “I’m just the _lucky_ one who found you. Your _Graceus_ friend here, he was easy to track.” Bryce’s voice turned nasty. “He _stinks_ of the Underworld.”

Nico let his cane flicker out into a sword. “You know the Underworld? Would you like me to arrange a visit?”

Bryce laughed. It was a disgusting wheeze of a laugh. Like someone who’d been beaten down too many times and couldn’t breathe. “Do you think you can frighten me? I’m a descendant of _Orcus_ , the god of broken vows and eternal punishment. I’ve heard the scream in the Field of Punishment firsthand. They’re music to my ears. Soon, I’ll be adding one more damned soul to the chorus.”

Nico resisted the urge to bite back, “I’ve heard the screams in the Fields too. You’re not _special_.” Instead, he kept steady, focusing on Bryce’s soul. If he managed to break the boy’s boundaries around it, he might’ve been able to hurt it enough for them to make a break for it.

“Patricide, eh?” Bryce asked at Reyna. “Octavian will love this news. You are under arrest for multiple violations of Roman law.””

“You _being_ here is against Roman law,” Reyna snarked back. Her dogs growled low. “Romans don’t quest alone. A mission has to be led by someone of centurion rank or higher. You’re in probation and even give you _that_ rank was a mistake.” Her fingers shook, grazing Nico’s thumb. “You have no right to arrest me.”

“In times of war, some rules have to be flexible,” Bryce sighed. His voice turned malovently wicked again. “But don’t worry. Once I bright you in for trial, I’ll be rewarded with full membership in the legion. I imagine I’ll be promoted to centurion too. Doubtless there will be vacancies after the coming battle.” He took a step, the leaves crunching under his footsteps, voice bloodied with violent pleasure. “Some office won’t survive, _especially_ if their loyalties aren’t in the right place.”

Coach Hedge snagged his baseball bat from the campsite. “I don’t know the proper Roman etiquette but can I bash this kid now?”

“A faun. Interesting.” Bryce’s voice was blank, as though the fact couldn’t have interested him in the least. “I heard the Greeks actually _trusted_ their goat men.”

Hedge bleated. “I’m a satyr! And you can trust-” He took a step forward. “-I’m going to put this bat upside your head, you little punk.”

Before Hedge could take another step, the stones under their feet rumbled. Steam burst from the ground, hot and burning, like the earth itself was boiling. From around the graves, skeletal warriors burst through the earth.

The _spartoi_ grabbed Hedge and heaved him off the ground. In shock, he dropped his bat, hooves clicking against skeletal bodies. “Lemme go, ya stupid boneheads.”

Shock burned down Nico’s spine. He was paralyzed, horrified as more of the dead spilled from the earth. By the time, he even considered raising his sword or running, they had him surrounded. Reyna had sprinted to left, some idea concocting in her mind that was thwarted as she was easily surrounded by the dead. Her dogs growled, snapping at bones.

Why hadn’t Nico noticed the dead around them, so close he could’ve reached out and touched one?

What was _happening_ to him?

“I forgot to mention,” Bryce said lazily. “I’m not actually alone on this quest. As you can see, I have backup.” He swung his weapon through the air. The swishing sound echoed loudly in Nico’s head. “These redcoats promised quarter to the colonials. Then they _butchered_ them.” The joy radiating his soul at the thought had Nico’s mind swirling. “Personally, I like a good massacre, but because they broke their oaths, their spirits were damned, and they are perpetually under the power or Orcus. Which means they are also under _my_ control.” He gave a short laugh. His weapon stopped swishing through the air just as his voice, clear and controlled, ordered. “Seize the girl.”

The skeletons rushed forward. From out of the corner of his eye, Nico spotted flashes of silver and gold lunging forth, only to be pushed down and held still. The _spartoi_ quickly snagged Reyna’s arms, stilling her before she could even wield her weapon. Her soul pulsed terrified. She let out a few angry curses in Spanish.

Everything was happening so fast.

The soldiers were being fueled by the _rage_ of a madman.

He shoved through them with his sword but nothing happened. He forced his will upon them, demanding, ordering, screaming for them to dissolve and sink back into the earth without uttering a single word and they ignored him. As though he didn’t exist.

Nico was getting a little tired of not existing.

“What’s wrong, son of Hades?” Bryce’s voice overflowed with mocking sympathy.  “Losing your grip?”

If he could just _reach_ Bryce, he might’ve been able to take him down. But the Roman’s soul was ridiculously locked up tight. Restricted from Nico’s will in a way that only the persons of the Underworld really knew how to do.

He scowled, trying to shove his way through the skeletons. They didn’t touch or hurt him, like they knew they weren’t supposed to, either under orders by Bryce or the general knowledge that the dead _don’t_ dare touch the children of Hades, but they kept him blocked from the others, like a thick metal wall. And all Nico had to combat it was a useless sword that might as well have been a butterknife for all the help it was doing.

“Nico!” Reyna yelled. “Get out of here! Get to the statue and leave!”

“Yes! Off you go!” Bryce agreed. “Of course, you realize that your next little shadow-jump will be your last. You know you don’t have the strength to survive another. But by all means, take the Athena Parthenos.”

Nico shuddered. Without thinking, his eyes blinked down. His hands, usually paler than paper, had turned dark and near transparent. Shadowy tendrils melted out of them. He could still feel his sword tight against his palms, could see the Stygian iron hilt through his fits, but who knew how long that would be. No wonder Lorrie wasn’t coming to his side as rapid anymore.

He was dissolving. Fading fast and swift out of reality. And the sun burning hot against him wasn’t helping.

Panic burned in his stomach. Bile chased up his throat. “Stop this!”

“Oh, I’m not doing a thing,” Bryce said. “But I am curious to see what will happen. If you take the statue, you’ll disappear with it forever, right into oblivion. If you _don’t_ take it… well, I have orders to bring Reyna in alive to stand trial for treason. I have no orders to bring _you_ in alive, or the faun.”

“Satyr!” Hedge kicked a skeleton, the sound echoing like a thunderstorm in Nico’s head, magnified by Hedge’s following swears. “Ow! Stupid British dead guys!”

“I wonder what this one’s pain tolerance would be,” Bryce said. Nico could sense Hedge’s soul moving closer to him but he was helpless to stop it. The _spartoi_ refused to move. “I’ve experimented on all kinds of animals. I even killed my own centurion once. I’ve never tried a faun” He cleared his throat as Hedge let out another angry stream of Greek curses. “Excuse me, a _satyr._ You reincarnate, don’t you? How much pain can you take before you turn into a patch of daisies?”

Anger flooded Nico. His body fully solidified in the moment. Nico had been turned into plants by too many people to count. He’d been beaten and cursed at. The giants used him as a play-toy while they dragged his half-dead body to the Doors of Death and the others kept up the abuse simply for the fun of it as they took him to the Colosseum to be displayed in a jar, like some pathetic exhibit.

He was _beyond_ tired of people who abused others for their own enjoyment.

“Leave him alone,” he warned. Even to him, his voice sounded impossibly edged and dark. He readied his stance, though for what he wasn’t sure.

Bryce, unaffected by Nico’s sudden pulse in mood, snorted. “Or what? By all means, try something Underworld-y, Nico. I’d _love_ to see it. I have a feeling anything major will make you fade out permanently. Go ahead.” He laughed, the sound crushing. “ _Try it_.”

 _Nothing major_ , Nico thought quickly. With the tiniest amount of energy he could use, he slipped his mind into the Underworld and slapped Lorrie’s soul harsh. His hands vanished then reappeared right before his sword could tumble out of his fist. He was smoky again, fading.

And Lorrie was at Bryce’s side, unnoticeable, unseen. Her soul clung to Nico’s, loosely. If he faded away, faded into the black like Bryce was wondering, he didn’t want to drag her in with him.

 _Be my eyes_ , he ordered. _Let me see_.

Reyna’s soul blipped panicked. She was struggling to break free, Lorrie relayed. “Bryce, forget about them,” Reyna said quickly. “If you want me as your prisoner, fine. I’ll go willingly and face Octavian’s stupid trial.”

“A fine offer,” Bryce mused. He titled his javelin just a few inches from her eyes. Lorrie cursed violently, silent, obedient. “You really don’t know what Octavian has planned, do you? He’s been busy pulling in favors, spending the legion’s money.”

Reyna grit her teeth, her voice clenched as she hissed, “Octavian has no right-”

“He has the right of _power_ ,” Bryce corrected, gleeful. “You forfeited your authority when you ran off to the ancient lances. On August first, your Greek friends at Camp Half-Blood will find out what a powerful enemy Octavian is. I’ve seen the designs for his machines.” Bryce pressed the flat side of his javelin to Reyna’s cheek. “Even _I’m_ impressed.”

Nico shivered. He swallowed thickly, trying to figure out something. Lorrie flickered behind Bryce. Her form solidified for the briefest of seconds, her eyes locked to Reyna’s and Nico could _see_. Her soul and her eyes matched the same, sang the same song and burned the same bright fire.

Resilience, courage, honor, a wave of heavy surging strength that had him feeling substantial again, anchored fully to the mortal realm.

It didn’t matter what she faced, what the odds were.

Reyna still had an ocean of bravery to share with her comrades.

Her gaze didn’t stray from Lorrie’s face. “Nico,” she said, “do what you need to do. I’ve got your back.”

Lorrie flicked out of view, still there but gone as Bryce laughed that stupid wheezing laugh again, overtly amused by the situation at hand. “Oh, Reyna. _You’ve got his back_? It’s going to be so fun dragging you before the tribunal, forcing you confess that you killed your father.” He twisted the javelin against her skin until the blade dug in deeply. “I hope they’ll execute you in the ancient way. Sewn into a sack with a rabid dog then thrown into a river. I’ve always wanted to see that. I can’t wait until your little secret comes out.”

As he flicked his blade against Reyna’s cheek, Lorrie vanished, leaving behind one solid image in his mind. A line of blood slashed against Reyna’s otherwise unmarred face.

 _Until your little secret comes out_ , Bryce’s voice echoed around the thought.

And Nico’s rage exploded.

The air dropped to freezing, frost building over the skeletal soldiers in immediacy. The grass beneath his feet turned brown, the trees shuddering as all the life around them surged into Nico’s skin.

He let out a scream, unleashing years of pain, anguish, anger, every _nasty_ emotion that had built up into his body. He let them _see everything_.

His trek through Tartarus, being captured by the giants, being bulled, hurt, poked and prodded like he wasn’t even _human_. They saw his suffering in the bronze jar. They felt the way he choked on poison air, how he swallowed the seeds down dry, his mouth unable to salivate, his body ready to _die_.

His anguish, his embarrassment, his shame and Jason’s voice whispered in the air as they ran through his encounter with Eros. They felt his white-hot hatred at Annabeth, at himself, at Percy, at the world for making him _feel_ things for a boy who barely even saw him.

For making him _feel_ for a boy who only knew how they had suffered _together_ and even then, he didn’t _get it_.

They felt his feelings unravel before them. He plunged his thoughts, his emotions, every ounce of his being over the last four years into the air, forced all of it upon them.

Without a word, his challenge was clear. _You want secrets? Here_.

The spartoi around him disintegrated into ashes. The ones that held Hedge and Reyna melted into pools of dirty white, sinking into the ground. Bryce Lawrence stumbled back. His soul had been snapped open by Nico’s force, ready to be _screwed_ with in a way only the children of the Underworld, the _dirty freaks_ of Hades, knew how.

Bryce wanted to play with people? He wanted to hurt them?

Fine.

Nico could do the same.

He marched toward him, honed in on Bryce’s screaming soul. He grabbed the stumbling Roman and yanked the tablet off his neck.

“You aren’t worthy of this,” he growled.

The earth surged apart under Bryce’s feet. He sank down to his waist before the falling slowed. “Stop!” he begged. Dirt sprayed at Nico’s shoes. Plastic crinkled. No matter where he struggled he kept sinking.

Nico’s breath steamed in the air. “You took an oath to the legion. You broke its rules. You inflicted pain. You killed your own centurion.”

Bryce’s soul whitened in fear, mixed red with horror. “I-I didn’t! I-”

Nico plundered into Bryce’s soul, dragging all the horrors the Roman had inflicted. Exile? He should’ve been hung, sentenced for death and punished for the rest of eternity.

“You should’ve died for your crimes,” he continued. The pull of the Underworld compelled him to exact justice. To right the wrong. “That was the punishment. Instead you got exile. You should have stayed away. Your father Orcus may not approve of broken oaths.” Nico knelt to one knee. Bryce’s face shown clearer than before, full of fear, full of panic, full of blinding anguish and terror. “But my father, _Hades_ , really doesn’t approve of those who escape punishment.”

“ _PLEASE!_ ” Bryce begged.

Nico stared at him. Please? The word didn’t make sense. It didn’t _exist_ in the Underworld. There was no mercy, no second chances. Justice was the only true call of death, the only true vengeance for the dead. And Bryce? He was dead, wasn’t he? His body remained stuck in the mortal realm but that wasn’t enough.

He needed to _pay_.

“You’re already dead,” Nico said. He shoved off the ground. “You’re a ghost with no tongue, no memory. You won’t be sharing any secrets.”

Bryce’s soul vanished fleetingly. It knew where it was destined to go, where it was _supposed_ to go, even if the body didn’t. He sank further into the earth, turning dark. “No! No, I am Bryce Lawrence! I’m alive!”

Nico grabbed hold of the soul and ripped it apart. He tore it into nothingness. The dead were not alive. The dead were nothing. They had no feelings, no thoughts, no emotions, no desperations.

They were gone.

“Who are you?” he whispered. Bryce’s voice broke out into chattering whisper, the edges of the noise still begging with no remorse. His body faded away completely. He was nothing, like the millions of spirits before him. “Begone,” Nico ordered and the spirit vanished.

The earth closed beneath him and Nico sank to his knees, suddenly winded. Behind him, Reyna and Hedge’s souls were both horrified, burning yellow and green respectively. But they were safe, relatively unharmed. Nico nodded once and exhaled deeply.

Then he collapsed.

 

* * *

 

“Nico?”

Nico spun on heels, his cane instantly blurring into a sword and swinging right at the person’s head. As his arm fell back to his side, just barely having missed the person’s throat, he honed in on the souls.

Will Solace.

His soul was a flustered yellow but a strengthened orange held deep in it. “Put that down!” he hissed. “What are you doing here?”

Nico stared at him, gaping. Two others were crouched behind him. They all were wearing black, not at all blending in with the sunlit grass no matter how hard they tried. The other two might’ve been able to work with it, had the day been darker, but Will’s messy mop of blonde hair stuck out brightly against the dark clothes. He smelled like grease.

“Me?” Nico snapped. He thrust his sword at Will again. “What are _you_ doing? Getting yourselves killed?”

“Hey, we’re scouting the enemy,” Will spat back. “We took precautions!”

“You’re dressed in _black_ ,” Nico said, “with _the sun coming up_. And your hair sticks out like a sore thumb against the clothes that even _a blind teenager can see it_. You might as well be waving a bright yellow flag, for all the precautions you’ve taken.”

Will spluttered. “Lou Ellen wrapped some Mist around us too!”

Lou Ellen rolled back. “Hi. You’re Nico, right? I’ve heard a lot about you. And this-” She swatted the kid next to her. “-is Cecil from the Hermes cabin.”

Nico dropped to his knees next to them. “Did Coach Hedge make it back to camp?”

Lou Ellen giggled. The sound twitched with the nervous, high and bubbly. “Did he _ever_.”

Will swatted at her. “Yeah. Hedge is fine. He made it just in time for the baby’s birth.”

“The baby!” Nico grinned. “Mellie and the kid are all right?”

“Fine. A very cute little satyr boy.” Will shuddered, the movement brushing his arm against Nico. “But I delivered it. Have you ever delivered a baby?”

Nico frowned. “Um, no.”

“I had to get some fresh air. That’s why I volunteered for this mission. Gods of Olympus,” Will said, “my hands are still shaking, see?”

He grabbed Nico’s hand. The touched shocked him and he dropped his hands from Will’s grip. “Whatever,” he said quickly. “We don’t have time for chitchat. The Romans are attacking at dawn and I’ve got to-”

“We know,” Will snapped. “But if you’re planning to shadow-travel to that command tent, forget it.”

Nico spun around to face him. “ _Excuse me_?”

Will’s soul remained annoyingly determined. Most people flinched or turned away or shut up when Nico got in their face. Thanatos claimed it was because his eyes got the same terrifying look that his mother’s used to when someone pissed her off. It didn’t matter if Nico wasn’t looking directly at them. As long as they saw his face, saw his eyes, they were frightened off.

Apparently, Will was steadying into that small little list of exceptions.

“Coach Hedge told me all about your shadow-travel.” He poked Nico in the arm. “You _can’t_ try that again.”

Nico scowled. “I just _did_ try it again, Solace. I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not,” Will insisted, annoyingly astute. Nico’s pulse tripled. “I’m a healer. I could feel the darkness in your hand as soon as I touched it. Even if you made it to that tent, you’d be in no shape to fight.” He slapped the ground. “But you _wouldn’t_ make it. One more slip, and you won’t come back. You are _not_ shadow-travelling. Doctor’s orders.”

Nico stared at him in silence for a half a second before spluttering. “The camp is about to be destroyed-”

“And we’ll stop the Romans,” Will insisted, with no explanation on _how_. “But we’ll do it _our_ way. Lou Ellen will control the Mist. We’ll sneak around, do as much damage as we can to those onagers. But _no_ shadow-travel.”

“But-”

 _“No._ ”

Nico swallowed and sat back. When he’d first met Will, after an incident with the Stolls leading to a scraped knee and broken finger, he had thought of him as being easygoing, laidback and calm. Apparently, that was only because he was in the passenger seat.

Now that he was a full-blown healer, certified from Chiron and the last head of the Apollo cabin just prior to the end of the last war, he was much more aggravating and stubborn.

Nico kind of wanted to smack him.

He had figured that kids matched their parents and Apollo was so cool, smiling and tan and dazzling in a way that had Nico’s stomach flipflopping around and his hands stupidly sweaty.

 _He’s hot_ , Thalia had said.

 _He’s the sun god_ , Percy replied, oblivious.

 _That’s not what I meant,_ Thalia snarked right before vanishing into a quest then resigning her life to maidenhood.

Apollo was cool and… _attractive_. Will was annoying and…. _punchable._

 _Must get it from his mother_ , Nico thought.

“Whatever,” he said, shaking his head to clear his thought. “We have to hurry. And you’ll follow _my_ lead.”

“Fine,” Will said easy. “Just don’t ask me to deliver any more satyr babies and we’ll get along great.”

 

* * *

 

Frank knocked on the wall next to Nico’s bed. Nico glanced over lazily and sat up. Frank’s soul burned with a Roman ferocity that Nico hadn’t ever felt before in him.

It was pretty cool.

Still, his huggable softness laid buried in and Nico doubted that anything would be able to get rid of it.

“Hey,” Frank said. He sounded tired but in a pleased way. Like the way Persephone did after a long six months of being stuck in the Heavens and finally reaching home. Weary but excited for the calm ahead. “We’ll be leaving in the morning. Just wanted to tell you thanks.”

“You did great, Frank,” Nico said. He gave a small push on Frank’s soul. “It’s been an honor.”

Frank laughed. “Honestly, I’m kind of surprised I lived through it. The whole magic firewood thing…”

Nico nodded. Hazel had told him all about the piece of firewood that controlled Frank’s lifeline. It seemed a good sign that Frank was talking so openly about it now. He splayed his hands over his knees. “I can’t see the future,” he said, “but I can often tell when people are close death.” Nico grinned. “You’re not. I don’t know when that piece of firewood will burn up. Eventually, we _all_ run out of firewood. But it won’t be soon, Praetor Zhang.” He let out a little chuckle, the sound odd in his voice but feeling pleasant as it bubbled out of his throat. “You and Hazel, you’ve got a lot more adventures ahead of you. You’re just getting started. Be good to my sister, okay?”

Hazel joined them. Her blur weighted heavily on Frank’s. Her soul drew closer to his and mimicking, his soul jolted a little closer to hers. “Nice, you’re not threatening my boyfriend, are you?”

They were so comfortable together it filled Nico with unrelenting happiness. Hazel deserved it. He gripped his pantlegs, feeling a sudden burst of melancholy. He grinned through it. “No need for threats,” he promised. “Frank’s a good guy. Or bear. Or bulldog. Or-”

“Oh, stop,” Hazel chided, swatting at him. She kissed Frank’s cheek. “See you in the morning.”

Frank’s soul burst a bright blue happy. “Yeah,” he said, eagerly. He cleared his throat, as though suddenly aware of Nico’s presence again. “Nico… you sure you won’t come with us? You’ll always have a place in New Rome.”

Nico cocked his head. “Thanks, praetor. Reyna said the same thing, funny enough. But-” he shook his head. “-no.”

Frank’s soul dropped into an understanding but slightly miserable green. “I hope I’ll see you again.”

“Oh, you will,” Nico promised. He pushed Frank’s soul teasingly. “I’m going to be the flower boy at your wedding, right?”

He’d never seen a soul change into a more embarrassed colour than he did right then. Frank’s coughed awkwardly, shuffling his feet like he had no clue what to do. His soul was trying to pull into itself, flushing black between mortification and purple embarrassment. Finally, he cleared his throat a final time and backed out the door, hitting the wall with his arm on the way out.

Hazel huffed. She shoved Nico’s soul rudely. “You just _had_ to tease him about that.”

Nico grinned in spite and she settled down beside him. For the first time in ages, her soul didn’t feel so _aged_. They sat together in comfortable and easy silence, two children of the Underworld, two children from the past. Siblings.

“I’m going to miss you,” Nico said. He rested both hands atop his cane and smiled ruefully.

Hazel laid her head on his shoulder and said, “You too, big brother.” She squeezed his thigh. “You _will_ visit.”

He grinned wide. On her shirt, a badge gleamed brightly. In the back of his mind, the brief ceremony the Romans had held during lunch played out. “Centurion of the Fifth Cohort now. Congratulations.” He bumped her with his elbow. “Are there rules against centurions dating praetors?”

Hazel snorted. “Shhh.” She fell back against the bed, groaning. “It’ll be a lot of work getting the legion back in shape, repairing the damage Octavian did. Dating regulations will be the least of my worries.”

“You’ve come so far,” Nico said, awed. “You’re not the same girl I brought to Camp Jupiter. Your power with the Mist, your confidence-”

“It’s all thanks to you.”

“No,” Nico said, firm, because it _wasn’t_. “Getting a second life is one thing. Making it a _better_ life, that’s the trick.”

The moment the words passed his lips he realized he could’ve just as easily as be talking about himself. He bit his lip and ignored that.

Hazel sighed, sitting back up. “A second life. I just wish…”

She had no need to finish her line of thought. For the past two days, Leo’s disappearance and likely death had hovered like a cloud over the whole camp. Hazel and Nico, tied to death in ways neither of them could ever shake, had been reluctant to join in on the speculation. No one bothered asking them either.

No one wanted to be proven wrong.

“You felt his death, didn’t you?” Hazel’s voice watered with small misery.

“Yeah,” Nico admitted. “But I don’t know, Hazel. Something about it was… different.”

“He couldn’t have taken the physician’s cure,” Hazel said. A cloud of gloom warped her words with thick shaking misery. “Nothing could have survived that explosion. I thought… I thought I was helping Leo. I messed up.” Her soul rang with all kinds of turmoil.

“No. It is _not_ your fault.”

“I just wish he hadn’t died alone,” Hazel murmured, sinking into Nico’s side again. “There was no one with him, no one to give him that cure.” Her voice snapped. “There’s not even a body to bury…”

Nico held her close while she cried. It wasn’t her fault. It was no one fault, if you looked at it closely. And if you looked closer, it was Nico’s. He’d spent so much time replaying his confrontation with Octavian and the catapult. Maybe he hadn’t done the right thing. Maybe the explosive power helped Gaea but made it cost Leo his own life without reason.

Nico shifted, Hazel fallen asleep on his lap. Her body was still, though her soul still shook with timid misery. Slowly he hefted her into his arms and carried her to her own bed. He kissed the top of her head and tucked her in, thinking back to the days when Bianca did the same for him. When she was alive and they lived out their true life and when she was alive and they lived out their sheltered life.

He turned to the shrine he’d manufactured in his own time spent at camp. A little table with bones and jewels and an immortal pomegranate fruit held in a tiny bowl from Persephone.

“I suppose,” he murmured to himself, “there’s a first time for everything.”

He’d never truly prayed to any god but God. As far as he could remember, he was Catholic. Raised that way by his mother and his father had never protested. Even joined them at church the few times Nico could remember going.

But, as he said, a first time for everything.

Quietly, he knelt at the shrine, laid his cane beside him and prayed quietly to his father for guidance.

 

* * *

 

He was still awake by the time the sun crept dawn across the sky. It was soft light, hitting the inside of the cabin with the warmth of a new day.

At the door, someone was rapping quickly. Nico sprung to the door and swung it open before whoever it was could wake Hazel up. For a split second, all he registered was a mop of blonde hair. _Will!_ He thought happily, then squashed that thought down to the deep dark recesses of his mind when he realized it was Jason.

He was slightly disappointed. Then upset that he was disappointed. Then angry that he was upset that he was disappointed that it was Will.

Of course, it wasn’t Will. The other boy hadn’t spoken to him since the battle ended, since he watched Nico willingly and knowingly let Octavian catapult himself into the explosions in the air. He probably thought Nico was sick and terrible, just like everyone else.

That thought had Nico’s stomach plummeting in a way he didn’t approve of.

It must’ve shown on his face because Jason quickly asked, “You okay?” His fingers grazed the side of Nico’s cheeked. “You look-”

Nico swatted his hand down. “Fine,” he snapped. He squeezed his eyes shut. Jason didn’t deserve that. He dropped his tone softer and leaned against the doorway. “If you’re looking for Hazel, she’s still asleep.”

“Oh,” Jason whispered. The air around Nico flushed, tugging gently against his arms and legs like a soft breeze. Nico relented and followed Jason outside, easing the door shut quietly behind him.

The sun, now fully raised into the sky, was still warming up it seemed but the light off it glinted from the glossy exteriors of some of the newer cabins. Nico winced, shielding his eyes with his hand and then full on covering his eyes up.

Why did _shiny_ matter so much to people?

Jason guided him out of the gleams and towards the strawberry fields. A hundred feet away they stopped. Nico could hear the Romans breaking camp, the smell of sausages and pancakes brimming the air as some of them finished eating in preparation for their trip back home.

Jason stood beside Nico, his soul rolling out in worried greens. “It was strange to see them here. Now it’ll be strange _not_ seeing them.”

“Do you regret not going with them?” Nico asked.

Jason shrugged, the movement rubbing their shoulders together. “A little. But I’ll be going back and forth between the camps a lot. I have some shrines to build.”

“I heard.” Nico stepped off to the side, swinging his cane over his shoulders and eying Jason’s blur. “The Senate plans to elect your _pontifex maximus_.”

Jason laughed. “I don’t care about the title so much. I _do_ care about making sure the gods are remembered. I don’t want them fighting out jealous anymore or taking out their frustrations on demigods.”

For the billionth time since they’d met, Nico was stunned by how much Jason reminded him of Percy. Too powerful for their own good and always thinking of the greater good of the collective around them, even if it disrupted their ability to spot the smaller people just hoping for a shot at being noticed.

He leaned back, titling his face up towards the sun. “They’re gods,” he said. “That’s their nature.”

“Maybe,” Jason agreed, “but I can try to make it better. I guess Leo would say I’m acting like a mechanic, doing preventative maintenance.”

So that’s why Jason woke him up. Nico grabbed a hold of his soul, forcing Jason to focus on him. “You know, you couldn’t have stopped Leo. There’s nothing you could have done differently. He knew what had to happen.”

Jason’s soul twitched. He didn’t want to hear that. “I- I guess. I don’t suppose you can tell if he’s still-”

“He’s gone,” Nico said flatly. Part of him wished there was an easier way to deliver the news. “I’m sorry. I wish I could tell you otherwise, but I _sensed_ his death.”

There was a part of Nico that was convinced Leo had done something odd when he’d died. As if he’d built his own way into the underworld with a socket wrench and a screwdriver but hope tended to live out too long in people. And Nico knew Jason wasn’t the type to let things go easily. If he had any inclining to believe Leo was still alive, he’d never let it go. And eventually, he’d die, far more troubled than any one demigods and still searching without being.

Besides, Nico was confident that Leo had died. Whether he’d take the cure or not, he’d _died_. And judging by their stupendous lack of ability in finding his body, it’d seemed like the explosion had blasted him to smithereens.

He was gone and Nico wasn’t going to give anyone any false expectations about it.

In the distance, the Romans were finalizing their packing. Breakfast had cases, the smell of food vanished the air. The shuffle of gear and clank of armor rang out as they toted everything over the hill towards the cars that laid in wait on the other side to transport them back to the legion.

An interesting and lengthy road trip awaited all of them. Stops at the drive-in lane at Burger King for some quick lunch. Monsters terrorizing small demigods in rural areas only to find themselves surrounded by dozens of heavily armored Romans.

Maybe they’d even find a few demigods headed to Camp Jupiter, seeking solace.

There was a joke in there somewhere in the midst of all of it, he was sure.

“Ella the harpy is going with them, you know,” Jason said. “She and Tyson. And Rachel Elizabeth Dare. They’re going to work together to try and reconstruct the Sibylline Books.”

Nico clicked his tongue to the roof of his mouth. “That should be interesting.”

“could take years,” Jason said. “But with the voice of Delphi extinguished…”

Nico paused. “Rachel still can’t see the future?”

Jason sucked his teeth. “I wish I knew what happened to Apollo in Athens. Maybe Artemis will get out of trouble with Zeus and the power of the prophecy will work again. But for now, those Sibylline Books might be our only way to get guidance for quests.”

“Personally,” Nico began, stretching out the kinks in his lower back, “I could do without prophecies or quests for a while.”

Jason laughed. The breeze around him quickened, warm and giddy. “You’ve got a point.” He took a breath. “Look, Nico, the reason I wanted to take to you…. I know what you said back at Auster’s palace. I know you already turned down a place at Camp Jupiter. I- I probably can’t change your mind about leaving Camp Half-Blood, but I have to-”

Nico glanced away from him. “I’m staying.”

Jason stopped. “What?”

“At Camp Half-Blood,” Nico continued, keeping his eyes trained on the vague horizon ahead of him and the lingering smell of sausages. “The Hades cabin needs a head counselor. Also, have you seen the décor? It’s disgusting and an insult. I’ll have to remodel. And _someone_ needs to do the burial rites properly because demigods keep insisting on dying heroically.”

“That’s- That’s fantastic! Dude!” Jason rushed over to him before stumbling back. “Right. No touching. Sorry.”

Nico bit his lip. “I suppose we can make an exception.”

He barely got the words out before Jason had him swept into a bone-crushing hug. His soul was flipping around with ridiculous glee. “Oh man. Wait till I tell Piper.” Jason stepped back, his hands dropping to hold Nico’s biceps. “Hey, since I’m all alone in my cabin too, you and I can share a table at the dining hall. We can team up for capture the flag and sing-along contests and-”

Prodding Jason with his cane, Nico asked, “Are you _trying_ to scare me away?”

Jason spluttered, his voice ending on laughter each time. “No! Sorry, sorry. Whatever you say, Nico. I’m just-” His soul burned a bright and electrifying purple. “I’m just glad.”

The strange thing was, Nico believed him.

“Nico!” Jason turned to the voice, hovering nearby the cabins. Nico’s stomach did a backflip at the sound. He recognized that voice. And the soul attached to it. Will yelled again. “Nico! Come here! Now!”

Nico cleared his throat. “Jason, um, would you excuse me?”

Jason nodded, clapping Nico on the back and jogging over to the Romans to help them pack and schedule his first visit back. Quickly, Nico strolled over to Will. He barely got within two feet of the other boy before Will’s soul was turning a murky gray.

“So, where were you?” he demanded. He smelled like antiseptic wipes and bleach. His flip-flops squelched as he shifted and they flopped from the bottom of his likely sweaty feet to the ground.

Nico blinked. “What do you mean?”

“I’ve been stuck in the infirmary for, like, _two_ days. You don’t come by,” Will huffed. “You don’t offer to _help_.”

Nico stared at him. “I…” He shook his head. “ _What_? Why would you want the son of Hades in the same room with people you’re trying to heal? Why would anyone want that?”

Will’s soul twisted out in a rabid green, exuding an emotion Nico couldn’t quite pick up on, too busy trying to fight back his own. “You can’t help out a friend?” Will asked. He’d begun tapping his foot, the sound annoying. “Maybe cut bandages. Bring me a soda or a snack. Or just a simple _How’s it going, Will_? You don’t think I could stand to see a friendly face?”

In the back of the more rational part of Nico’s mind, he wanted to point out that Will had other people, friends who were much closer to him than _Nico_ was to do these things for him but he was too stuck on the way his stomach tumbled every time Will spoke at him.

“What…” He shook his head rapidly. “ _My face?_ ”

Nico’s face? Friendly? Last he heard, he had his mother’s eyes, his father’s scowl and an unruly mop of hair that he needed cut immediately, otherwise he was going to be dragged into a line-up as some high school shooter.

What about that sounded _friendly_?

“You’re so dense,” Will huffed. He swallowed thickly, his soul doing another backflip into a nervous pink. “I hope you got over that nonsense about leaving Camp Half-Blood.”

“I- yeah, I did,” Nico spluttered. “I mean-” He cleared his throat. “I’m stayed.”

“Good.” Will stopped tapping his foot. “So, you may be dense but you’re not an idiot.”

Finally, the feeling of being insulted pushing its way to the forefront of Nico’s tangled web of emotions. “How can you even talk to me like that? Don’t you know I can summon zombies and skeletons and-”

“Right now, you couldn’t summon a wishbone with melting into a puddle of darkness,” Will said flatly. He prodded Nico’s chest. “I told you, no more Underworld-y stuff, doctor’s orders. You owe me at least three days of rest in the infirmary. Starting _now_.”

Flustered, Nico scratched his elbow, needing to do something otherwise he was going to explode. “Three days? I- I suppose that would be okay.”

Will huffed. “ _Good_. Now.” He crossed his arms over his chest before dropping them to his side, like he wasn’t sure how to continue. Meanwhile his soul was still twisting and turning with unbridled nerves.

What was it Persephone had always said about his father? That he was so close-minded and self-hating, he couldn’t spot someone in love with him unless they slapped him across the face and said so in clear, explicit terms.

And didn’t she look directly at Nico the entire time she was saying it like she was trying to get across a point that Nico wasn’t picking up on?

Well, Persephone, he was finally picking up on it now.

“Wait.” He brandished his hands out. “Do you- do you _like_ me?” he asked.

Will’s soul turned back into that rapid green, stretching out and trying to squash itself. “Of course, I like you,” he said quickly. “Why else would I-”

“Will, according to my stepmother, I have my father’s personality when it comes to social relationships,” Nico said clearly, even if his nerves were beating at him with a bat. “If you like-like me, you’ll have to tell me.” He tapped beside his left eye. “Love is blind after all.”

Will swallowed thickly again. “I- Look, it’s not-” He spluttered, shuffling. “Well, you’re _cute_.”

Nico felt his face burn. “ _Oh_. Um.” He rubbed his thumb against his cane handle. “You have a- a nice voice.” A nervous laugh escaped Will’s mouth. Nico grinned. Despite himself, he wondered what Will would sound like after a kiss. Then suddenly his emotions came crashing down on him. He tensed. “Um, look, I’m from the forties and being- being… _like this_ , it’s strange for me. I haven’t really had time to accept it and-”

Will’s soul deflated like a balloon, turning red and offended and broken.

“It’s not you,” Nico said quickly, snagging Will’s hands as best he could. “I really, really like you.” He shook his head, confused at his own thoughts, his own feelings. “I mean, I think I do?” He shook his head again. “That’s- that’s what I- what I need to… sort out. How I feel. What I want. I… I need to settle into it.” He swallowed thickly. “Is that okay?”

“ _Oh_ ,” Will said. “Right. Of course.” He let go of one of Nico’s hands to tuck a sprig of his hair behind his ear, his thumb curving over the bottom of Nico’s jaw. “I don’t mind. I get it. It’s not something you’ve had time to adjust to with a bunch of wars back to back. “He laughed softly and stepped a little closer. His soul twisted out yellowed and his eyes were so _blue_. “It’s okay, Nico. I can wait.”

“I don’t want you to-”

Will shook his head. “I want to,” he insisted. “And I can do it. I promise.”

Very slowly, he leaned over and pressed his mouth to the top of Nico’s head. His lips were chapped and roughly dry but Nico exhaled slow and enjoyed the touch. Will pulled back. He squeezed Nico’s hand reassuringly and stepped away.

“Anyway, I do believe someone promised me three days of rest in the infirmary?”

Nico flushed again. “Oh, um-”

“Nico!”

Instinctively, Nico turned to Percy’s voice, recognizing it right away, the sound ingrained into his memories like a sin. He dropped Will’s hand and stepped back. “I’ll be right back,” he promised. “Swear it on the Styx and everything.”

Will gave a quiet laugh and sat down on the grass while Nico walked over to Percy. Annabeth’s soul simmered pleasantly beside him. In his throat, Nico’s heart had lodged itself. His heartbeat had never felt louder.

But.

Sometimes there’s only one thing you could do.

Percy grabbed his hand, fleetingly, dropping it after the first touch. “We’ve been looking for you,” he said.

“You hiding out in the infirmary?” Annabeth asked. Her voice touched concerned and he could feel her eyes roaming over him for signs of injury or pain.

“No,” Nico said. He scratched the back of his head. “Not yet.”

“Oh, good,” Percy said. “I was worried you’d already left.”

“No, I’m… I’m staying here actually.”

Annabeth touched his shoulder softly. “That’s great, Nico. You deserve to be around people your own age.”

“Who are _alive_ ,” Percy added. He grunted as Annabeth elbowed him in the ribs. “Ow!”

Nico snorted. “Are you guys-”

“For the year,” Annabeth said, understanding where he was going with it. “To settle down and get the camp organized again. I’m still head counselor and I haven’t quite had a chance to pick someone else to take my spot. Plus-” She giggled “-Percy’s going to need _a lot_ of tutoring if he plans to graduate high school on time.”

“Well, if I stopped getting dragged into quests that _don’t_ just happen during the summer, maybe I’d be alright,” Percy snarked back. His soul stayed a tepid blue, calm, happy. “We’re thinking about moving to Camp Jupiter afterwards though. For college.”

“Yeah,” Annabeth said. She sounded excited at the prospect. “And then afterwards, Reyna and Frank said we could live in New Rome for as long as we’d like.”

Nico smiled. “That’s great.” He licked his lips and remembered the courage Reyna had instilled in him when they fought against Bryce Lawrence. “Percy, I need to confess something. Especially since we’ll be seeing a lot of each other throughout the year and I don’t-” He wrung his wrists in his hand. “I don’t want there to be any… _weird_ tension between us. Any of us,” he added quickly, glancing at Annabeth’s blur and thinking back to all the horrible scenarios he used to imagine her in when he was young and jealous.

“Okay,” Percy said. “What’s up?”

“I, um-” Nico swallowed and tensed. In front of him, Annabeth’s soul suddenly sparked a knowing green before blooming into an understanding gray. She had his back. And Percy…

Well, Percy wasn’t the type to be cruel without reason.

“I used to like you.”

“Wow,” Percy said, blankly. “Thanks?”

Nico shook his head. “No. I, um.” He rubbed his face. Tears were springing from his eyes, panic clawing at his throat. “No, I- I had- _have_.” He cleared his throat and looked up. “ _Have_ a crush on you.”

Percy’s soul went transparent with shock.

“Anyway,” Nico said, quickly, backing up swiftly. “I just thought you should know so, um, I can- I can move on and we don’t- don’t have this _thing_ between us. Okay.” He nodded jerkily. “Bye.”

Percy’s soul snapped a stormy blue. “Wait, no!’ He grabbed Nico’s arm and yanked him back. Then dropped his hands and stumbled back like he’d been burned. “Wait, shit, fuck.”

Nico trembled. Annabeth grabbed Percy and tugged him back. “Percy,” she started, tone warning.

“No, no, no,” Percy mumbled. His soul cleared to a flat blue suddenly, something dawning on him. He dropped to his knees in front of Nico. “Oh, no, Nico, Nico, no, _I’m so sorry.”_

Nico swallowed thickly. “I don’t-”

“I- I was _such a dick_.” He grabbed Nico’s shoulders. “All those stupid promises and favors, I didn’t even _think-_ ”

“I wanted to do those things,” Nico said quickly. He rubbed his face. “I wouldn’t have done them if I didn’t see the point. I don’t like you _that_ much.”

Percy grabbed his face in his hands, cheeks cupped gingerly in his warm palms. “I am so sorry. For everything.” He dropped his hands and sat back. “I mean, I was sorry about that stuff in general, but now it’s like… _magnified_.”

“Percy-”

“Why?” Percy asked. “I wasn’t _nice_.”

“You were a hero,” Nico mumbled. He suddenly felt like a little boy again, small and gazing out the boy with the prettiest eyes he’d ever seen, who was promising to protect them, promising to defend them. “And- and I liked your eyes.”

Percy’s voice broke. Nico was suddenly aware that he wasn’t the only person crying. “Why are you crying?” he asked quickly. Did he say something wrong? Was Percy broken?

Annabeth dropped beside them, catching the back of Percy’s neck from where his head was bowed into his hands. “Sweetheart, I think you’re scaring him.” She cleared her throat. “And- and me, as well.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Percy huffed. He rubbed his face, groaning. “Shit, Nico, I’m sorry.”

“It’s really nothing to be sorry fo- _orf_!”

Percy pulled Nico a tight hug. “I know you don’t like touching but-”

“This is fine,” Nico mumbled into Percy’s neck. He wrapped his arms around Percy’s waist and closed his eyes. The smell of sea water clung to Percy’s skin, light and airy. Annabeth’s hand flattened against the small of his back. When he didn’t protest it, she rubbed up his spine gently. Her fingers curled into his hair then back down at again. After a moment, her lips pressed to the top of his head.

Her soul was happy.

Percy pulled back and caught Nico’s cheek in hand again. “I’m-”

“If you say you’re sorry, crush or not, I will deck you,” Nico promised.

Percy laughed. “I just.” He sighed deeply. “Ever since Bob, the weight of everything I’ve ever done with your or- to you is just crashing back down on me and how you’ve _tried_ to help in your own way but I was so caught up in my own thing, I couldn’t focus on anything but what happening to me in the moment. And _this-_ ” He let out a whoosh of breath again. “This is just worsens all of that.”

“You were sixteen, Percy,” Nico said. “And you had the fate of the world to deal with.” He licked his lips and pulled Percy’s hand off his face, only to hold it hard in his hand. “You looked for me, even after I almost got you killed, and you kept doing that. Some things-” Nico thought back to Percy trying to strangle him in his cell. “Some things were a little bad but.” Nico shrugged. “You were sixteen years old. You were saving the world and people were trying to kill you the entire time. I know you didn’t mean to leave me behind but.” He shook his head. “I don’t blame you for any of it.”

He dropped Percy’s hand and grabbed his face. “Don’t think that you’re a bad person for asking for help from someone you knew could help or that I did any of the things you asked from me because I felt indebted to you because of some silly crush.”

Percy gripped Nico’s wrists lightly. His hands were still shaking but his soul was backflipping with sadness anymore, clear and sea green as normal. “Okay,” he breathed. “Okay.” Nico smiled. It felt lopsided but Percy laughed, breathing deeply as his head ducked low. “Okay.”

They all stood up, forming a small, tight circle. Annabeth squeezed Nico’s shoulder. Her soul deflected back at his. _No need for an apology_ , it seemed to breathe.

She understood.

“Okay,” Nico said. “I’m gonna- I have to- Will.”

Annabeth stepped back, her body turned to face the infirmary. “How long are you staying in there?”

“Three days,” Nico said.

“Okay,” she said. “I’ll get you afterwards and we can set up a time to talk. About everything. Tartarus and otherwise.”

He nodded. It was time to clear out the screams that had been ringing in his skull since Minos picked him up, that had only worsened since his time in Tartarus. He turned, ready to spin back around to Will and get down to those three days of rest, that had been demanded of him, but Percy caught him by the arm one more.

“I’m definitely going to hell for this,” he muttered under his breath.

In the back of Nico’s mind, he vaguely wondered what _that_ was supposed to mean, when Percy’s lips met his.

Nico jolted, frozen. Annabeth let out a warbled noise that sounded half like Percy’s name and half like a demon’s screech.

The kiss itself didn’t last any longer than three seconds. It was hard to get any feeling behind it, other than the sense that Percy felt he _owed_ Nico something. His lips were wet, salty with tears, but warm. When Percy pulled back, he pushed back the hair that flopped around Nico’s face and kissed the top of his head. “Three days,” he said quietly. “Then we get you.”

Half-dazed, Nico nodded and steadied his grip on his cane handle. He wondered how red his face was. “Then we talk.”

As the three of them turned around, walking away, he heard Annabeth berate Percy loudly. Percy was laughing, groaning every time she stopped to smack him. But there was calm to their tones and peace in their souls and Nico couldn’t help but mimic their feelings.

Percy didn’t like him back, that’s not what the kiss meant.

It just meant _I’m sorry_.

And for whatever he was apologizing for, for all the things Percy decided he was at fault for when it came to Nico, when it came to their relationship, Nico forgave him.

He set off towards the sunlit spot dancing on one Will Solace, whose soul was still canted a soft yellow, and didn’t look back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ALRIGHT! Finally completed after a whole year and right before I leave for uni!! I hope you guys all enjoyed the story and my take on it. I have two more stories set in the space of this AU but they likely won’t be published until maybe the end of this year or sometime in the next.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! I do hope you enjoyed my take on certain spots!
> 
> Feel free to check out my tumblr to see what I’ll be working on next!
> 
> [Tumblr](http://happyk44.tumblr.com/post/164727858327/in-which-nico-is-blind-and-still-gets-everything) || [Insta](http://instagram.com/hk44_art)


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